EXCHANGING IDEAS:President Pratibha Patil interacts with Syrian parliamentarians in Damascus on Sunday.
DAMASCUS: For Syria, India's upcoming non-permanent membership of the United Nations Security Council presents an opportunity. And the Syrian leadership lost no opportunity to underscore this.
At the state banquet hosted for visiting President Pratibha Patil on Saturday night, her Syrian counterpart Bashar al-Assad expressed the hope that India would use the UNSC forum to place the Arab case before the world.
“Based on our great knowledge of the great influence of India, we in Syria,” Mr. Assad said, “welcome an active Indian role in creating an environment conducive to the achievement of just and comprehensive peace in our region.” Syria, he added, looked forward to help from India — which had always supported the Arab legitimate rights, including the return of the Golan Heights and the cause of Palestine — “in achieving peace based on international legitimacy resolutions and the land for peace principle.”
On her part, Ms. Patil said India supported “a negotiated solution resulting in a sovereign, independent, viable and united State of Palestine, living within secure and recognised borders, side by side at peace with Israel.” She added that India supported the Arab Peace Plan, which calls for withdrawal of Israel to the pre-1967 borders, along with the recognition of Israel, and the establishment of the state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Thanking Syria for its support for India's election to the Security Council for 2011-2012, she said the membership of the Security Council confers a “special responsibility” on India. She stressed that India hoped “to work closely with other Member States for a balanced approach to peace and security issues.”
Earlier, at President Patil's meeting with Syrian Prime Minister Naji Ali Otri on Saturday, he expressed satisfaction at India's participation in power projects in Syria, particularly the upgrade of the Tishreen Power Plant by BHEL, financed through an Indian line of credit for $240 million and ONGC Videsh Limited's participation in the exploration of hydrocarbons, Secretary (East) Vijaya Latha Reddy told journalist here.
She added that Minister of State for Power Bharatsinh Solanki, who is accompanying the President, conveyed Indian interest in the power sector in Syria and said public sector units such as NTPC and the Power Grid Corporation could be potential participants.
In view of the enhanced engagement between India and Syria, President Patil and Mr. Otri agreed that there should be more high-level ministerial contacts to follow up on issues discussed during the visit, something that was also suggested by Mr. Assad. Ms. Reddy said these would be in addition to the regular meetings of the Joint Commission chaired by the two Commerce Ministers.
On Sunday, the President's engagements included a visit to the Syrian Parliament, where she discussed with Speaker Mahmoud Al Abrash and Presidential Affairs Minister Mansour Azzam cooperation between the parliamentary institutions of both countries, especially at the Inter Parliamentary Union. The Speaker informed Ms. Patil that a Syria-India friendship group had been set up in the Syrian Parliament.
Later, launching the India-Syria Business Council, she said it would add to the efforts to strengthen trade and economic ties, and “work closely with the [two] governments in addressing the specific problems that hinder the smooth flow of commerce and bring the business communities of the two countries closer.”
Referring to the setting up of the IT Centre of Excellence, with Indian expertise, in Damascus, she said: “Over 13 centuries back, in 662 A.D. a Syrian scholar monk Severus Sebokht recognised with appreciation the skill of Indians in computing and said ‘their computing surpasses description.' By way of gratitude to Sebokht for his prescient remarks, we are setting up an IT Centre of Excellence in Damascus. The Centre would become operational very soon.”
A highlight of Ms. Patil's engagements on Sunday included a visit to Aamal, a non-governmental organisation which works with children with disabilities. Aamal was launched in 2002 at the initiative of Syrian First Lady Asma al-Assad. It has not only rehabilitated children with disabilities and trained trainers and parents but also driven progressive legislation in this area.
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