The tragic incident involving the abduction and murder of a Japanese NGO worker in East Afghanistan at the end of August made us acutely aware of the deteriorating security situation in Afghanistan, and of the difficulty in providing international support under such unstable conditions. In the world of Japanese domestic politics, following the sudden resignation of PM Fukuda and the prospect of a Lower House election, wider media and social attention are being paid to the future of special measures law on terrorism, and the question of whether or not the Japanese government will succeed in extending the refueling mission of the self defense army in the Indian Sea. In response to these changing circumstances, and to facilitate discussion on the current situation regarding Afghanistan and Japanese support for the reconstruction process in the country, SPF will host a lecture by Afghan Ambassador to Japan, H.E. Mr. Haron Amin, an eminent individual who is highly knowledgeable about the historical relations between Afghanistan and Japan, and who has just written a book entitled “Afghan-Japan Relations: Lands Under the Rising Sun”.