On October 14, AFPC hosted a group of visiting fellows from Central Asia. The delegation, sponsored by the Rumsfeld Foundation, consisted of 10 fellows hailing from Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Throughout their six week program, Rumsfeld fellows met with U.S. policymakers, public officials, analysts, business leaders, journalists, academics and regional experts in their area of interest.
While at AFPC, the delegation met with Council experts including: AFPC President Herman Pirchner, Jr.; Senior Fellow for Europe and Eurasia E. Wayne Merry; and, and Senior Fellow for Russia Stephen Blank.
The group discussed the role of Russia and China in Central Asia, and the prospects for a decline in American influence in the region after the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan next year. The visiting fellows all argued that it is in our mutual interest for the U.S. to retain a strong presence in the region.