The new cooperation agreement between the EU and Afghanistan will enter into force provisionally on Friday 1 December.
The agreement was signed on 18 February (see EUROPE 11724) and is the first contractual relationship between the EU and Afghanistan. It establishes the legal framework for cooperation between the two parties.
The new cooperation agreement highlights political issues, including human rights, and will focus on many areas – especially the rule of law, rural development, the fight against corruption and the financing of terrorism, migration, development cooperation, trade and investment, and regional cooperation.
According to the European External Action Service, the cooperation agreement confirms the EU's commitment to the future development of Afghanistan over the decade of transformation (2015-2024) and will provide a basis for the EU's continuing support in implementation of the Afghan reform programme.
The agreement is "mixed" – in other words, it must be ratified by all the national and regional parliaments concerned before entering into full force. Four member states and Afghanistan have already done this. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)