Relationship dossier
Afghanistan
Spain
Relationship assessment
Spanish military, reconstruction and evacuation efforts shaped ties, alongside Afghan cooperation during the Islamic Republic period.
Afghanistan toward Spain
+10During the Islamic Republic period, the Afghan government cooperated with Spain’s contribution to the NATO-led mission and Spanish reconstruction work, including in Badghis. The extent of direct bilateral coordination is unclear.
Spain toward Afghanistan
+35Spain contributed military personnel to the international mission in Afghanistan and supported reconstruction and development work, including in Badghis. During the 2021 withdrawal, Spain also helped evacuate Afghan nationals.
Overall relationship
+20The relationship was shaped by Spain’s sustained military and reconstruction engagement and Afghan cooperation with the international mission during the Islamic Republic period. The Taliban’s return to power altered the bilateral setting, making the depth and continuity of subsequent government engagement uncertain.
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
During the Islamic Republic period, Afghanistan cooperated with Spain’s role in the NATO-led international mission and Spanish reconstruction work, including in Badghis. Spain contributed military personnel and development assistance in Afghanistan and later helped evacuate Afghan nationals during the 2021 withdrawal. The Taliban’s return to power changed the bilateral context, and the scope of subsequent government-to-government engagement is unclear.
Key developments
Spain contributed military personnel to the NATO-led international mission in Afghanistan.
Spanish reconstruction and development work included a provincial reconstruction team in Badghis.
Spain helped evacuate Afghan nationals during the international withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Major uncertainties
- The extent of Afghan government coordination with Spanish forces and reconstruction programs is unclear.
- The scope of government-to-government engagement after the Taliban returned to power is unclear.