Syria reaches out to India to resolve crisis

New Delhi: Syrian President Bashar-Al-Asad is sending his top aide Buthaina Shabaan to India to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and brief him about the ongoing conflict in the country. Buthaina, who is Asad`s political and information advisor, is expected to meet Manmohan Singh Tuesday when she will deliver a special message.

She is also expected to meet other officials and apprise them about the latest security situation in the country, Syrian diplomats said. Buthaina had visted India along with President Asad in 2008. Buthaina`s visit follows Iranian Speaker Ali Larijani`s talks with the prime minister, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and other leaders during which the Syrian situation came up for discussion. Syria feels that India like Russia, Iran and China should play a positive role in ending violence in that country. It is supportive of UN-Arab League envoy Lakhdar Brahimi`s initiative on direct negotiations between two warring factions. India on many occasions has opposed military intervention in Syria and advocated negotiated settlement. India told the UN that further militarisation of the conflict will make political settlement complicated and difficult. IANS