 Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to what is promising to be a very insightful session on probably one of the most pertinent, imminent geopolitical challenges of our times, of the 21st century. Of course, I am talking about Afghanistan, where events have unfolded rather quickly in previous weeks and many lessons to be drawn from the situation in Afghanistan. Therefore, I could not have asked for a more knowledgeable panel to be assembled here on stage today in Abu Dhabi to talk about the present, but also the future of Afghanistan. Delighted to have us with us, the director of the Department of International Security Corporation at the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Saleh Mohamed Al-Zabi. Welcome to you, sir. Lovely to have the CNN Senior European Correspondent based in Paris, Jim Bitterman, of course, a very famous fixture whom many of you are familiar with. I'm extremely delighted to welcome the Senior Reporter and World Correspondent at Le Figaro Renaud Girard, who knows Afghanistan probably as well as anyone here in this room. We have the director of research and communications at IFRI, Marc Eker, who has written a very comprehensive book about the war on terror, where Afghanistan, of course, is prominently featured. Also with us is the head of the Russia NIS Center of IFRI Tatyana, Kastueva Jean. And last but certainly not least, I'm delighted to welcome back on stage MK Narayanan, who is, of course, a former Senior Advisor and National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister of India and currently the Chairman of Cycurex System. So much to talk about in these 80 minutes that we have.