New Delhi
11 August 2007
India will review the situation in West Asia when she hosts Syrian
Foreign Minister Walid Mouallem next week. He will arrive in New Delhi on Monday for a
three-day visit.
Both sides are likely to discuss enhancement of political, economic and cultural
relations. The last visit by a Syrian foreign minister to India was in 2002. Union Minister
of Petromeum and Natural Gas Murli Deora was in Syria in April this year. Former prime
minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and former minister of external affairs Jaswant Singh have
visited Syria. New Delhi has said that India and Syria have enjoyed ancient civilisational
ties and their ties were based on similarity of perception on many international and
regional issues.
Ambassador CR Gharekhan, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's Special Envoy for West
Asia and the Middle East Peace Process, told this newspaper: "It is an important visit.
Syria is an important player in the region. We have excellent bilateral relations with
Syria."
He said that bilateral matters, the situation in the region and the prospects for the peace
process would figure in Mr Mouallem's talks here.
"It is good to have a briefing [from] a veteran diplomat [who was] involved in the bilateral
negotiations with Israel [over] Golan Heights, when they talked directly in Washington.
He is an expert on the peace process," Ambassador Gharekhan recalled. Making a
distinction between India's ties with Syria and the ties other countries, including the
United States, have with Syria, he added: "India is in touch with all parties. It is normal
for us to interact with friendly countries."
In a rare diplomatic encounter, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met with Mr
Mouallem in May this year on the margins of an international conference on Iraq, which
was held in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh. It was the first high-level diplomatic
contact between Washington and Damascus in more than two years. The US sees Syria
as a state sponsor of terrorism. Washington recalled its ambassador two years ago after
it accused Syria of having a hand in the assassination of former Lebanese rpt Lebanese
prime minister Rafik Hariri.
No comments:
Post a Comment