India to announce aid for Syria

India and Syria on Tuesday held wide-ranging talks, focusing largely on the internal situation in the war-torn country and the UN-backed peace process aimed at ending the strife which has claimed lives of over 2.5 lakh people in the last five years.

Syrian deputy prime minister Walid Al Moualem, during the talks with external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj, appreciated India for its support to the people of Syria and its position in finding a solution to the civil war.

Ms Swaraj conveyed to Mr Moualem, who is also minister of foreign affairs, that India was sending medicines worth $ 1 million to Syria soon. India will announce further assistance to the country during a conference on Syria in London on February 4.

She also sought Syria’s help in ascertaining status of 39 Indians who were taken hostage by ISIS militants from Iraqi city of Mosul in June 2014. Mr Moualem assured Ms Swaraj that he will use his sources in Iraq to know whereabouts of the Indians.

The Syrian deputy prime minister met national security adviser Ajit Doval Monday evening during which the challenge of combating terrorism, particularly to deal with ISIS, is understood to have figured, according to news agency reports.

Mr Moualem, who visited Russia and China before arriving here Monday, gave a detailed exposition of how Russian airstrikes have weakened the capabilities of ISIS in Syria as well as about the UN-backed peace initiative.

“The Syrian deputy prime minister appreciated India for its support to people of Syria,” external affairs ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

India has been consistently maintaining that a solution to the conflict must be found through a Syrian-led peace initiative.

Russia has been carrying out airstrikes in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad since September, targeting the terror outfit ISIS.