Relationship dossier
Afghanistan
Romania
Relationship assessment
Romania contributed to NATO missions in Afghanistan, but the change of government altered the basis for bilateral cooperation.
Afghanistan toward Romania
+15The Afghan government before the Taliban takeover cooperated with NATO-led missions in which Romanian forces served, including security and training efforts. The nature of any current government-to-government cooperation is unclear.
Romania toward Afghanistan
+35Romania deployed forces to Afghanistan as part of NATO-led missions, contributing to security, training and reconstruction efforts alongside the Afghan government. Romanian forces withdrew in 2021.
Overall relationship
+25The relationship’s most consequential feature was Romania’s participation in NATO-led military and reconstruction missions conducted in cooperation with Afghanistan’s pre-Taliban government. The 2021 withdrawal and subsequent change of government altered that basis for cooperation.
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
Romanian forces served in Afghanistan as part of NATO-led missions, including security, training and reconstruction efforts, in cooperation with the Afghan government before the Taliban takeover. Romania withdrew its forces in 2021. The change in Afghanistan’s government makes the present relationship distinct from that period of cooperation.
Key developments
Romanian forces served in Afghanistan as part of NATO-led missions, including security and training efforts conducted with the Afghan government.
Romania withdrew its forces from Afghanistan as NATO’s mission ended.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of direct bilateral cooperation outside Romania’s NATO mission is unclear.
- The scope of current contact between Romania and Afghanistan’s de facto authorities is unclear.