The future of Afghanistan may largely hinge on international efforts to implement viable plans for a transfer of security responsibility, national reconciliation, sustainable socio-economic development, and regional cooperation.

Ten years after the 1995 signature of the Barcelona Declaration (which established a European-Mediterranean partnership for peace, stability, prosperity, human development, and cultural exchange), Mediterranean issues are at the heart of the international agenda. Despite the continued relevance of the Barcelona process, its effectiveness has been rather harshly assessed.