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New Delhi:
As the UN Security Council mulls a resolution on Syrian violence
and more of the country's officials face European Union sanctions,
Syria has urged India, chair of the UN Security Council, not to be
misled by "Western propaganda" about Damascus's crackdown on
protests and sought New Delhi's support for the reform process.
In a lecture at the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA)
Tuesday, Syria's Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad, who is
here on a three-day visit, spoke about the progress in the reforms
ushered in by President Bashar al-Assad and assured that the
government was trying for dialogue and reconciliation with
opposition groups.
Mekdad had met External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Minister
of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed Monday and explained to
them the evolving situation in the country that has become more
violent in recent weeks.
At least 120 people were allegedly killed Sunday by Syrian troops
in a brutal crackdown on protesters in the city of Hama.
Mekdad briefed Krishna about "causes for violence in his country,
reforms proposed by Syrian President Bashar Al Assad, details of
national dialogue between the Syrian government and the opposition
groups, as well as, other issues related to public protests in
Syria," the external affairs ministry said here.
In different television interviews, Mekdad sought India's support
and understanding as top officials of his country faced fresh EU
sanctions for alleged repression of protesters. India assumed the
rotating presidentship of the UN Security Council Monday.
"I am here to brief the Indian leadership against the
prefabricated misinformation and on the unrealistic propaganda
machinery against Syria," Mekdad told NewsX, an Indian TV news
channel.
"Some circles in the West and in the United States want to
aggravate the situation in Syria by supporting terrorist groups
against the will of the overwhelming majority of the Syrian
people," he said.
"What we expect India to do is not to allow Western countries to
use the UN as a forum to support terrorism, to support extremism
and to support the killings of innocent people," he said in a
separate interview with CNN-IBN.
Around 1,500 people are said to have died since unrest began over
four months ago.
India on its part has voiced concern over violence, with Krishna
conveying to Mekdad that India expected the government of Syria to
"exercise restraint, abjure violence and expedite the
implementation of political reforms taking into account the
aspirations of the people of Syria."
The U.N. Security Council is set to start a second day of debate
on a draft resolution condemning violence in Syria.
Syria is facing growing international condemnation to stop the
crackdown. Italy recalled its ambassador to Syria on Tuesday, on
account of the "horrible repression of the civilian population."
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