Damascus: Union Minister of State, V Muraleedharan’s “productive” visit to Syria has provided an opportunity to take the bilateral cooperation between the two nations to a higher level, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

Muraleedharan was on an official visit to the Syrian Arab Republic from July 12-13, 2023 — the first Ministerial-level visit from India to Syria since August 2016

“The visit of MoS to Syria has been highly productive and provided an opportunity to find new ways and means to take the bilateral cooperation to a higher level,” the MEA said in a statement.

During the visit, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs called on Syrian President Bashar Al Assad and Prime Minister Hussein Arnous, and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties, including development partnership assistance, education and capacity building.

The Syrian leadership widely appreciated India’s humanitarian support to Syria in the hour of need, particularly in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in February 2023, MEA stated.

The MoS also announced 300 new scholarships to Syrian students for studying in India. He also conveyed that a consignment of anti-cancer medicines will be supplied to Syria at an early date.

Muraleedharan also had a meeting with Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Fayssal Mekdad, on a wide-ranging matters of bilateral and multilateral matters. He also had a meeting with Syrian Minister of Health Hassan Al Ghabbash, where ways to strengthen health cooperation were discussed.

He called on His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Syriac Patriarch of Antioch and all the East, and discussed the robust people-to-people ties between the two countries, especially between the Malankara Orthodox Syrian Church and Kerala.

The MoS along with Syrian Minister of Higher Education, Bassam Ibrahim, interacted with a group of Syrian students who have studied or are proceeding to study in India under Government of India’s scholarship scheme.

He also visited NextGen India Syria Centre of Excellence in Information Technology (NexGen ISCE IT) in Damascus set up by India in 2021. Syrian Minister of Communications and Technology Iyad Mohammad Al-Khatib joined him at the Centre, the MEA further stated.

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 program, the official release read.