NEW DELHI: India is monitoring the situation in Syria in the light of the ongoing developments, govt said on Monday, underlining the need for all parties to work towards preserving unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of the country.
In its first official statement on Syria, where rebel fighters have taken control after ousting the Bashar al-Assad regime, govt “advocate” a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process respecting the interests and aspirations of all sections of Syrian society.
“Our Embassy in Damascus is in contact with the Indian community, for their safety and security,” govt said.
Unlike GCC countries, Syria is not a major supplier of crude and there are only about 90 Indian nationals in the country, out of which 14 are employed with UN missions. India, however, remains concerned about the security implications and the potential of the situation in Syria, close to the Gulf countries, to further destabilise the wider West Asia region. The presence of Assad helped maintain stability in the country which is now under the control of a former al-Qaeda affiliate,
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham
(HTS).
India had been a keen developmental partner for Syria and was also actively involved in capacity building of the Syrian youth, according to MEA. India also has trade worth $170-$180 billion with GCC countries. “Which is for us not just a key energy partner, but a broader economic partner, a very crucial source of investment and increasingly an important technology collaborator. It is very very important for energy, but also for us for fertilisers. We are the second biggest fertiliser importer in the world,” said external affairs minister S Jaishankar addressing the Manama Dialogue on Sunday.
