Harutun A. Matevosyan’s research while affiliated with Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography and other places

On February 29, 2020, the United States and the Taliban signed an agreement to establish peace in Afghanistan, which became widely known as the Doha Agreement. This agreement marked the end of one of the largest and bloodiest conflicts of the 21st century, the Afghan Civil War. The Doha Agreement is crucial to consider within the context of Afghan transitions, as well as the signing and content of the agreement itself, which became a turning point for the future of Afghanistan and its people, signaling the end of the long-standing presence of American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. The Doha Agreement is based on four key points: the withdrawal of American and coalition forces, the Taliban's commitment to conduct counter-terrorism operations, the initiation of intra-Afghan negotiations, and the establishment of a comprehensive and long-lasting peace. The Doha Agreement became a turning point in U.S. foreign policy, though it did not lead to long-term peace in Afghanistan. Nevertheless, it marked the beginning of a reevaluation of U.S. foreign policy in the Indo-Pacific region. On the other hand, the agreement is also significant because the U.S. engaged in peace negotiations and signed an agreement with the Sunni extremist group known as the Taliban, which, to this day, it does not recognize as the official ruling force in Afghanistan.

. The Afghan civil war entered a new, more intra-Afghan phase after the end of the Cold War. The conflict, which had previously been a geopolitical struggle between two major powers, shifted to an intra-Afghan conflict in which the Taliban, a terrorist organization that emerged during the Afghan war, took a leading role. Starting in the early 1990s, the Taliban began to gain significant prestige in Afghan circles and took practical steps to consolidate power in Afghanistan. With the capture of Kabul, the foundation was laid for the rule of the Taliban regime, which was initially regarded by American authorities as an internal matter for Afghanistan. However, this tolerant attitude did not last long, as the Taliban provided shelter to various terrorist groups, particularly al-Qaeda and its leader Osama bin Laden. The international community soon began to recognize the threat posed by the Taliban's support for terrorism. Diplomatic efforts were intensified to isolate the Taliban regime and pressure it to sever ties with extremist groups. Despite these efforts, the Taliban's intransigence led to increasing international condemnation and ultimately set the stage for a more direct intervention by foreign powers, which significantly impacted the region's stability and global security dynamics.