Relationship dossier
Afghanistan
France
Relationship assessment
A history of cooperation under the Afghan republic, followed by a changed political context after the Taliban’s return to power.
Afghanistan toward France
+15The Afghan government of the post-2001 republic cooperated with France as a contributor to the international mission in Afghanistan. The scope of direct engagement by the Taliban authorities with France is unclear.
France toward Afghanistan
+25France contributed military forces to the international mission in Afghanistan and provided development support. In 2021, France conducted evacuations from Kabul as the Taliban took control.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship has included substantial cooperation during the post-2001 republic, notably France’s military contribution and development support. The Taliban’s return to power changed the basis for government-to-government engagement, whose subsequent scope is unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Afghan governments cooperated with France during the post-2001 republic, including through France’s military contribution to the international mission in Afghanistan. France also provided development support and conducted evacuations from Kabul in 2021. The Taliban’s return to power substantially changed the political context, and the scope of subsequent direct government engagement is unclear.
Key developments
France contributed military forces to the international mission in Afghanistan during the post-2001 republic.
France conducted evacuations from Kabul as the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.
Major uncertainties
- The scope of direct Afghan government engagement with France since the Taliban returned to power is unclear.
- The extent and implementation of ongoing French assistance to Afghanistan are unclear.