Iran for bigger Indian role in Syria

May 06, 2013 07:03 pm | Updated December 04, 2021 11:39 pm IST - TEHRAN

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid during a meeting in Tehran on May 04, 2013.

Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with Indian External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid during a meeting in Tehran on May 04, 2013.

India may soon find a place on the high table on Syria - courtesy Iran - which is considering a new diplomatic initiative to resolve the festering Syrian crisis by involving major countries of the non-aligned movement.

Iran sounded India on its budding proposal during the visit to Tehran of the External Affairs Minister, Salman Khurshid, which concluded on Sunday. Apart from the situation in Afghanistan, Syria emerged as a major talking point between Mr. Khurshid and his counterpart, Ali Akbar Salehi. Ali Akbar Velayati – a veteran diplomat, whose elevated position in the Iranian establishment is affirmed by his proximity to the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei - is said to have brought the Syrian situation into sharper focus during his confabulations with the visiting minister.

Iran also shared its anxieties and concerns over Syria during Mr. Khurshid’s call on Ali Larijani, the Speaker of the Iranian Majlis. “As chairman of NAM, Iran is looking at bringing together heavyweights within the global south to deliberate from a fresh perspective on the Syrian condition,” a top diplomat told The Hindu . Around 10 prominent members, including host Iran, India and Indonesia, are likely to form the new Syria-centric group.

As a founding member, India is comfortable with an initiative on Syria that is rooted within the NAM framework. New Delhi was clearly out of its comfort zone during its low-key flirtation as observer with the “Friends of Syria”- a coalition led by the United States and its allies in Europe and the Gulf that has a pronounced focus on “regime change” in Syria. Opposed to any plan premised on Mr. Assad’s exit, Indian officials say that the fate of their President should be decided by the Syrian people themselves on the basis of an internal dialogue.

India and Iran’s shared concerns on ending Syria’s humanitarian strife, as well determining a road-map for the country’s political transition were anchored in their statement that followed Saturday’s talks in Tehran. Both countries supported the Geneva Communiqué which includes the “6-Point Plan of Kofi Annan,” – a reference to the former envoy on Syria of the Arab League and the United Nations who had earlier decided to quit, frustrated by the reluctance of the big powers to resolve the Syrian crisis based on his recommendations.

Signed in June last, the Geneva communiqué - Mr. Annan’s last hurrah - is a rare document that bridged divisions between the jointly adopted positions of Russia and China - two countries that have firmly opposed “regime change” in Syria - and the US-led bloc. The plan supports a political transition in Syria, without insisting on President Assad’s exit. As its leading advocate, the Russians have later accused the U.S. and its allies of backtracking on their commitments in Geneva, by avoiding a clear enforcement of a transition plan in Syria through a suitable follow-up resolution in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

Analysts point out that formation of a non-aligned forum would present India a new opportunity to voice its growing concerns over Syria from a familiar international platform raised by the leading and economically most dynamic, members of the rapidly evolving developing world. In recent months, New Delhi has decided to raise the volume of its difficulties with a western-led approach on Syria. Harmonising its position with members of the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) forum, India is a party to a joint statement that followed the meeting in March of the group in Durban. The statement supported a “Syrian led political process” based on a “broad national dialogue that meets the legitimate aspirations of all sections of Syrian society”. The BRICS also credited the Geneva plan and appropriate UNSC resolutions for affirming the “respect for Syrian independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty”.

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