Convergence and Divergence of the United States and the European Union on the Process of State-Building in Afghanistan over the Years (2001 – 2022)

Abstract

The history of Afghanistan can be characterized by the absence of fundamental and structural governments, although rulers under the name of government governed the country in the past century. However, the lack of responsive governments led the country to remain in a constant state of conflict and chronic violence. After 2001, when a new chapter opened in the political history of Afghanistan, the United States and the European Union directly and indirectly had a hand in all Afghan matters. The incorrect understanding of Afghanistan's structure, cultural and historical fabric, and lack of development can be recognized as the necessity and importance in state-building. The main question is how the convergence and divergence of the United States and the European Union have affected the process of state-building in Afghanistan over the past two decades. Apparently, the European Union and the United States did not have fundamental differences in the issues and aspects of state-building, but they differed in their perspectives on how to achieve goals and the methods to reach them. These differences had a negative impact on the process of state-building in Afghanistan. This research utilizes an analytical-descriptive method and collects information from library resources, articles, and journals. The findings indicate that over the past two decades, the European Union and the United States did not have any differences in creating and supporting a strong government in Afghanistan. However, they had differences in the methods and approaches to achieving their goals, which led to the failure of state-building.