India-Afghanistan to hold cultural week from September 2-5: Afghan envoy to India

India and Afghanistan will hold a bilateral ‘cultural week’ scheduled for September 2 to September 5, as planned by the Afghanistan embassy in New Delhi and Indian Council for Cultural Relations, Afghanistan Ambassador to India, Farid Mamundzay on Friday told ANI. The event is aimed at strengthening the cultural ties between the Southeast Asian neighbouring countries, he said. Several key diplomats and bureaucrats from both countries are expected to attend the important event which will include cultural engagement, poetry events, food, music, etc. 

"Afghanistan has learned a lot from Indian culture, young Afghans should understand and abide Indo-Afghan relations, hence we have planned this event," Mamundzay told reporters on July 30, addressing a media conference.

Further, he elaborated, that “Afghanistan is going through a tough time, we are struggling with terrorism and extremisms, but this cultural week would bring a news of happiness among Afghans,” as he expressed concerns about the security situation in the conflict-ridden region.

Mamundzay hurls 'caution' at China 

Mamundzay, further in his remarks, hurled caution at China for ignoring violence by the Taliban and cosying up to the terror faction. If these terror groups continue to operate in Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Ambassador to India warned, then it will adversely impact Beijing. Earlier yesterday, a Taliban delegation led by its chief negotiator Abdul Ghani Baradar met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to hold discussions on the rising concern over activities of the Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement (ETIM), seeking to establish an Uyghur state in Afghanistan. A nine-member delegation has gone to China for the diplomatic talks on a two-day visit.

Taliban has claimed that it captured several strategic border crossings, including the Spin Boldak along the frontier with Pakistan. The terror group asserted that it now controls 90 percent of Afghanistan's borders with Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran. As Taliban made advancements capturing key regions in the war-torn territory after the US-led coalition troops drawdown, Humvees that belonged to Afghan Special Forces were seen ablaze, and Afghan police’s check posts were besieged as the offensives by the Islamic hardliners continued.