The Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) is the research and policy support institution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. Since its establishment in 2003, the Center has served as the Ministry’s institutional platform for generating policy-oriented research, facilitating strategic dialogue, and strengthening the analytical foundation of Afghanistan’s foreign policy. As an integral part of the Ministry, it bridges strategic research with diplomatic practice by providing timely, evidence-based analysis that supports informed policy deliberation and strategic decision-making.

The Center’s mission is to contribute to the formulation and implementation of Afghanistan’s foreign policy through rigorous research, strategic dialogue, and sustained engagement with national, regional, and international think tanks and research institutions. While maintaining a strong analytical foundation, the Center places particular emphasis on developing practical policy recommendations that respond to evolving regional and global developments affecting Afghanistan’s external relations. Its work reflects the Ministry’s commitment to a balanced, constructive, and interest-based foreign policy, with particular emphasis on regional cooperation, economic connectivity, and peaceful international engagement.

In recent years, the Center has increasingly focused on providing strategic policy support to the leadership of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through analytical reports, policy briefs, and strategic assessments on priority foreign policy issues. These policy products are developed through a combination of in-house research, expert consultations, roundtable discussions, strategic dialogues, and exchanges with diplomats, scholars, and policy specialists from Afghanistan and abroad. This consultative approach enables the Center to incorporate diverse perspectives while ensuring that its recommendations remain policy-relevant, forward-looking, and responsive to evolving diplomatic realities.

Beyond research and analysis, the Center serves as an important platform for intellectual exchange and policy dialogue. It regularly convenes roundtables, expert discussions, seminars, conferences, and research exchanges on issues relating to Afghanistan’s foreign policy, regional developments, international affairs, and emerging global trends. These activities foster constructive engagement among policymakers, researchers, diplomats, and subject-matter experts, contributing to a deeper understanding of shared challenges and opportunities. The outcomes of these discussions frequently inform the Center’s analytical publications and policy recommendations, thereby strengthening the link between strategic dialogue and policymaking. This emphasis on knowledge exchange and policy engagement complements the Center’s core analytical mandate.

The Center also maintains institutional partnerships and professional cooperation with a broad network of leading think tanks, research institutes, universities, and policy organizations across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and other regions. Through strategic dialogues, joint research initiatives, academic exchanges, and participation in international conferences and expert forums, the Center promotes mutual understanding, expands opportunities for academic collaboration, and contributes to constructive engagement between Afghanistan and the international research community. These partnerships also facilitate the exchange of knowledge, comparative policy experience, and best practices on issues of shared regional and global concern.

Organisationally, the Center operates through two deputy departments that together ensure comprehensive coverage of Afghanistan’s foreign policy priorities.

The Deputy for Regional and International Studies monitors political, economic, and strategic developments across four geographical regions encompassing countries around the world and produces country- and region-specific assessments relevant to Afghanistan’s external relations.

The Deputy for Thematic Studies undertakes research and policy analysis in four strategic areas that reflect the Ministry’s current priorities: religious diplomacy; economic diplomacy and regional connectivity; security and counter-narcotics; and climate change and sustainable development.

Together, these two departments combine regional expertise with thematic specialisation to provide comprehensive analysis of the complex challenges and opportunities shaping Afghanistan’s foreign policy.

The Center’s work is guided by the objective of supporting a foreign policy that advances Afghanistan’s national interests through constructive international engagement, regional cooperation, and informed strategic decision-making. Its analytical activities seek to identify opportunities for cooperation, assess regional and international trends, and provide practical policy recommendations that contribute to the Ministry’s deliberations and decision-making processes. By integrating research, strategic dialogue, and policy analysis, the Center serves as a bridge between strategic thinking and diplomatic practice.

Over the course of its institutional development, the Center has established a substantial record of academic and policy contributions. It has published approximately seventy editions of the Strategic Studies Journal, providing an important platform for scholarly research, analytical papers, and policy discussions on Afghanistan’s foreign policy, regional affairs, international relations, and global strategic developments. In addition, the Center has published more than sixty books covering a wide range of subjects related to diplomacy, foreign policy, regional cooperation, and international affairs. These publications constitute an important part of the Center’s intellectual legacy and continue to serve diplomats, policymakers, researchers, academics, and students with an interest in Afghanistan’s foreign policy and international engagement.

Today, the Center for Strategic Studies continues to strengthen its role as the principal policy research institution of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. By combining rigorous research, strategic analysis, policy dialogue, and international engagement, the Center provides evidence-based policy support to the Ministry while fostering collaboration with regional and international research communities. Through these efforts, it seeks to contribute to a more informed, pragmatic, and forward-looking approach to Afghanistan’s foreign policy and international relations.