https://sputniknews.in/20230713/india-welcomes-syrias-return-to-arab-fold-academic-2979571.html
India Welcomes Syria’s ‘Return to Arab Fold’: Academic
India Welcomes Syria’s ‘Return to Arab Fold’: Academic
Sputnik India
New Delhi “welcomes” the normalization of relations between Syria and the Arab states, an Indian academic has told Sputnik.
2023-07-13T13:48+0530
2023-07-13T13:48+0530
2023-07-13T13:48+0530
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New Delhi welcomes the normalization of relations between Syria and the Arab states, an Indian academic has told Sputnik.Muddassir Quamar, an Associate Professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies at School of International Studies (SIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), underlined that New Delhi has been consistent in urging for respecting Syria's sovereignity and has been against external intervention in the Syrian war.India-Syria TiesIt's worth noting that New Delhi has been critical of unilateral actions violating Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the wake of Turkiye’s military operation in the country last November. It has urged for withdrawal of foreign forces to achieve a nation-wide ceasefire.India has maintained an embassy in Syria all along the ongoing civil war. New Delhi has called for a "Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process" to resolve the ongoing crisis in the nation.Muraleedharan's visit takes place amid the ongoing thaw in ties between Damascus and the Gulf states, with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) bringing back Damascus into the League of Arab States (LAS), a 22-nation grouping comprising countries from Middle-East and Africa. President Bashar al-Assad attended an LAS meeting in May.Syria was suspended from the influential regional grouping in 2012.Indian Minister Meets Delegates from Assad Gov’t, Orthodox ChurchAn Indian foreign ministry statement said that Muraleedharan’s visit would “lend further momentum to the strong relationship between the two countries”.It noted that New Delhi-Damascus ties have been underpinned by strong people-to-people linkages.The ITEC is the leading capacity programme run by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).Muraleedharan said that he held discussions with Syrian education minister Bassam Ibrahim in a bid to bolster education ties between the two nations.India has provided nearly 1500 scholarships to Syrian students to study in India in diverse streams, including 200 in the last year.The Indian minister also met Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, as he urged for “greater unity” in the Syrian Orthodox Church.India to Enhance Humanitarian Cooperation, Economic Ties with SyriaThe fighting among government forces and opposition-linked militants in Syria has fuelled a dire humanitarian crisis in the country and necessitated the need for massive foreign investments in re-building the infrastructure in the country.Quamar said that New Delhi would look to step up its humanitarian cooperation and economic ties with the Syrian government during the ongoing ministerial visit.In the wake of the devastating earthquake this year, New Delhi launched ‘Operation Dost (friend)’ under which it dispatched humanitarian and medical supplies for Turkiye and Syria.Aid deliveries to the rebel-controlled Syrian regions neighbouring Turkiye have been marred by mistrust in Damascus that the western agencies have been delivering supplies just to opposition-held areas.New Delhi has also extended a $280 million credit line to Syria for building a power plant and a steel plant. In 2021, India also set-up a ‘Next-Gen Centre for Information Technology’ in Damascus.The United Nations (UN) says that over 15 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the country. Nearly 500,000 people have been killed in the conflict, per estimates by UN and human rights groups.
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India Welcomes Syria’s ‘Return to Arab Fold’: Academic
Indian Minister of State (MoS) External Affairs V Muraleedharan visits Syria on 12-13 July, in what is the first ministerial-level trip from New Delhi to the war-torn country since 2016.
New Delhi welcomes the normalization of relations between Syria and the Arab states, an Indian academic has told Sputnik.
Muddassir Quamar, an Associate Professor at the Centre for West Asian Studies at School of International Studies (SIS), Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), underlined that New Delhi has been consistent in urging for respecting Syria's sovereignity and has been against external intervention in the Syrian war.
“Syria is an important Arab country and its return to the Arab fold is welcome,” Quamar said.
It's worth noting that New Delhi has been critical of unilateral actions
violating Syria’s sovereignty and territorial integrity in the wake of
Turkiye’s military operation in the country last November. It has urged for withdrawal of foreign forces to achieve a nation-wide ceasefire.
India has maintained an embassy in Syria all along the ongoing civil war. New Delhi has called for a "Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process" to resolve the ongoing crisis in the nation.
Muraleedharan's visit takes place amid the ongoing thaw in ties between Damascus and the Gulf states, with the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) bringing back Damascus into the League of Arab States (LAS), a 22-nation grouping comprising countries from Middle-East and Africa. President Bashar al-Assad attended an LAS meeting in May.
Syria was suspended from the influential regional grouping in 2012.
Indian Minister Meets Delegates from Assad Gov’t, Orthodox Church
An Indian foreign ministry statement said that Muraleedharan’s visit would “lend further momentum to the strong relationship between the two countries”.
It noted that New Delhi-Damascus ties have been underpinned by strong people-to-people linkages.
“India has contributed immensely to the capacity building of the Syrian youth over the years through scholarship schemes and training courses under the flagship Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) programme,” the Indian statement said.
The ITEC is the leading capacity programme run by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Muraleedharan said that he held discussions with Syrian education minister Bassam Ibrahim in a bid to bolster education ties between the two nations.
India has provided nearly 1500 scholarships to Syrian students to study in India in diverse streams, including 200 in the last year.
“The connection that we are creating will be long-lasting and impactful,” Muraleedharan remarked after the meeting.
The Indian minister also met Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Syriac Patriarch of Antioch, as he urged for “greater unity” in the Syrian Orthodox Church.
India to Enhance Humanitarian Cooperation, Economic Ties with Syria
The fighting among government forces and opposition-linked militants in Syria has fuelled a dire humanitarian crisis in the country and necessitated the need for massive foreign investments in re-building the infrastructure in the country.
Quamar said that New Delhi would look to step up its humanitarian cooperation and economic ties with the Syrian government during the ongoing ministerial visit.
“India has consistently provided humanitarian assistance and aid to Syria through various means including after the recent earthquake that hit Turkiye and Northern Syria,” Quamar stated, referring to last year’s earthquake which left close to 5,000 people dead in Syria.
In the wake of the devastating earthquake this year, New Delhi launched ‘Operation Dost (friend)’ under which it dispatched humanitarian and medical supplies for Turkiye and Syria.
Aid deliveries to the rebel-controlled Syrian regions neighbouring
Turkiye have been
marred by mistrust in Damascus that the western agencies have been delivering supplies just to opposition-held areas.
New Delhi has also extended a $280 million credit line to Syria for building a power plant and a steel plant. In 2021, India also set-up a ‘Next-Gen Centre for Information Technology’ in Damascus.
The United Nations (UN) says that over 15 million people are in need of humanitarian assistance in the country. Nearly 500,000 people have been killed in the conflict, per estimates by UN and human rights groups.
