Damascus: Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan, on Thursday discussed India-Syria bilateral cooperation including development partnership, trade and capacity building with Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous.

“Glad to have had a fruitful meeting with the Prime Minister of Syria, Hussein Arnous in Damascus, Syria. Discussed the wide-ranging bilateral cooperation between India and Syria including development partnership, trade and capacity building,” MoS Muraleedharan tweeted on Thursday.

MoS Muraleedharan on Wednesday arrived in Syria on a two-day official visit to the country.

Muraleedharan on Thursday paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi in Damascus.

"Started off the day in Damascus, Syria by paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the premises of @eoidamascus," MoS Muraleedharan tweeted.

Earlier, on Wednesday, the MoS met the Syriac Patriarch of Antioch & all the East in Damascus, Mor Ignatius Aphrem II.

"Blessed to meet His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Syriac Patriarch of Antioch and all the East in Damascus, Syria," the MoS tweeted.

"Recalled my old connection with His Holiness. He reiterated his fondness for Kerala and expressed his hope for greater unity in the Syrian Orthodox Church," he added.

He also met the Minister of Higher Education in Damascus and interacted with Syrian students selected for an Indian scholarship.

"Glad to have joined Bassam Ibrahim, Minister of Higher Education in Damascus, Syria & interacted with Syrian students selected for Indian Scholarship. Appreciate students' enthusiasm& keenness to study in India The connection that we are creating will be long-lasting & impactful," the MoS tweeted.

This will be the first ministerial-level visit from India to Syria since August 2016, and the first visit of V. Muraleedharan to the country, the Ministry of External Affairs said earlier in an official release.

During the visit, the MoS will also interact with a group of Syrian students, who have studied or are proceeding to study in India under the Union government's scholarship scheme. He is also expected to meet the functionaries of the Syrian Orthodox Church.

Syria and India have historically shared cordial relations built on deep-rooted people-to-people ties. The Indian Embassy in Syria has remained open throughout the Syrian conflict. Many people visit India as tourists, businesspeople, and patients. This visit is expected to lend further momentum to the strong relationship between the two countries.

India has contributed immensely to the capacity building of the Syrian youth over the years through scholarship schemes and training courses under the flagship ITEC programme, the official release read.