Afghanistan has been the topic of political conversation for over a decade. The role that the West plays or should play in the country continues

to be disputed

This week, European Union foreign ministers met on Monday to discuss a number of issues including the current and future situation in Afghanistan. Monday’s meeting anticipated the Nato summit that will take place on 20 and 21 May in Chicago.

The agenda in Chicago will include a plan for foreign troops to exit Afghanistan. Right now, the withdrawal of troops is suspected by many to conclude in 2014, but that is subject to debate. The EU and many of its member states have invested billions in Afghanistan’s well-being and it would be unadvisable to exit recklessly now.

The withdrawal of troops will not bring an end to financial assistance from the international community to Afghanistan. The Afghan government has already asked that the international community continue to provide financial support to assist with Afghan security efforts. The United States has requested that its allies, including many EU member states, commit to half of the large monetary commitment to Afghanistan in the coming decade.

The meeting on Monday had a number of other priority items on its agenda: The situation in Syria, the Middle East peace process, and elections in Algeria to name a few. Ministers also spoke about the political and economic situation within the EU. With a packed agenda, specific logistics regarding the EU’s commitment to Afghanistan are unlikely to be seen immediately following Monday’s meeting. Already with the election of François Hollande as France’s President, controversy regarding an Afghanistan exit strategy will manifest. One of Hollande’s main campaign promises was to accelerate the withdrawal of French troops. Hollande had previously declared that troops would be withdrawn by the end of this year, but due to military logistics, the newly-elected President is finding that his campaign promise will be broken. The reality check for Hollande will come as a relief to many who believe an exit strategy must be completed over a longer period of time.

Still, the wheels have been set in motion for the international community to leave Afghanistan, hopefully by 2014. However, when exactly that exit will be, and how much it will cost the EU and the international community remains uncertain.

While much of the discussion surrounding Afghanistan is held among members of Nato and focused on the withdrawal of troops, the EU’s external action service is also planning to invest in security in Afghanistan. On 10 May, the EEAS stated that the €30-€50 billion investment will be spent on the “protection of staff, their families in the country, visitors from headquarters or other EU institutions and the goods of the EU delegation in Afghanistan”. Notably, this time around, following the Libya fiasco, the EEAS will make sure that the company hired for security in Afghanistan is in fact permitted to work there.

Following the meeting on Monday, the European Foreign Affairs Council has put pressure on the Afghan government to confirm their intentions to keep up with reforms to improve governance in the country. The statement the Council released after its Monday meeting called on the Afghan government to follow a number of suggestions from the Council. The Council statement highlighted the importance of having “inclusive and credible” elections in Afghanistan and strong independent electoral institutions. Furthermore, the Council stressed the need for the Afghan government to guarantee respect for human rights and women’s rights. The statement also included a push for the Afghan government to use international support to achieve fiscal stability and transparency in Afghanistan.

The content of the statement regarding Afghanistan released by the Council this week and the discussion at the Nato summit tomorrow clearly cover a wide array of topics regarding Afghanistan. The focus on withdrawing troops is sure to be complemented by pressure to maintain reforms and plans to help implement strong internal systems within Afghanistan that will make for a smooth transition for Afghanistan and those soon leaving the country.

In this sense the EU, as well as the rest of the international community, is working to tie up all loose ends in Afghanistan. Though the vast physical presence of the international community in Afghanistan will likely come to an end in the next few years, the international community will certainly remain invested in the success of the Afghan government for some time to come.