The Afghan minister of information and culture Mohammad Rasool Bawari and Indian minister of state for culture Mahesh Sharma on Wednesday inaugurated the India-Afghan Cultural Festival in the Indian capital New Delhi in a move to further enhance cultural and social connectivity between the two nations. 
 
The three day festival will provide an appropriate platform to evaluate the cultural relations between the two countries over the course of history and officials from the two countries will also seek ways to further expand these ties in the cultural sphere. 
 
Speaking on the occasion, Sharma said that India and Afghanistan enjoy age old cultural and civilizational ties and the deep-rooted linkages in the fields of music, art, architecture, language and cuisine constitute an important bond of friendship between the people of the two countries.
 
Sharma further stated that the India-Afghan Festival is a unique event and will further bring out the common interests between the two nations through art, handicrafts, dance, music and other forms.
 
The three-day festival includes cultural performances, handicrafts, exhibitions, cuisine and cultural shows from Afghanistan as well as India.
 
“The two countries are bounded in cultural and historical relations, therefore we want to celebrate these common values together,” said Bawari. 
 
"We Afghans who have continuously been part of the Eastern history are undoubtedly honored and proud of being merged and the history with today’s most nations in Asia and have paid joint efforts in various parts of our lives," said Abdali in his opening remarks at the festival. 
 
Emphasising the developing partnership being extended by India for the people of Afghanistan, Sharma said that Restoration of Afghan cultural heritage and strengthening its cultural institutions has been an important part of our support in reconstruction of Afghanistan. The restoration of Storay palace in Kabul and support to the Afghan National Institute of Music are a few such examples, the Minister added.
 
“The minister of culture of India participated at the event along with the Afghan minister of culture and information alongside university lecturers from the two countries and diplomats,” said Abdali.
 
The Festival has been jointly organized by the Government and Embassy of Afghanistan along with the Government of India and ICCR.
 
The festival was also attended by a number of writers and poets from the two countries.