India stresses need for urgent ceasefire in Syria: India at UNSC

At UNSC briefing, India's permanent representative to UN Ruchira Kamboj said, "We remain concerned with the overall situation in Syria. There is an urgent need for serious attempts toward a comprehensive nationwide ceasefire." Kamboj termed stalemate in political process unsustainable, reports ETV Bharat's Chandrakala Choudhary.

New Delhi: India at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has expressed concern over the situation in Syria and called for an urgent need for serious attempts toward a comprehensive nationwide ceasefire in Syria.

Addressing the UNSC briefing on Syria, India's permanent representative to the UN, Ruchira Kamboj on Thursday said, "On the security front, we remain concerned with the overall situation in Syria. There is an urgent need for serious attempts toward a comprehensive nationwide ceasefire in Syria. We believe that withdrawal of all foreign forces is essential toward realizing this objective".

"The stalemate in the political process has become unsustainable. The Small Body of the Constitutional Committee has not met since last May, and as evident from today’s briefing, uncertainty over the ninth round continues," she said. She noted that while Special Envoy’s efforts, in engaging with all stakeholders are commendable, any positive impact on the political track is yet to be seen.

"External factors are impeding the political process in Syria. The stakeholders have not shown any indication of flexibility or compromise. We hope all sides will engage constructively and purposefully with the Special Envoy in his pursuit to facilitate the political process, in line with resolution 2254. We continue to believe that his efforts, particularly his step-by-step approach, need to be supported by the Council", she told the UN security council.

India further hoped that the regional players will continue to play an important role in supplementing the efforts of the Special Envoy. In this context, continuing normalization of Syria’s relations with its Arab neighbors is a reassuring development.

It is pertinent to note that India has been consistently cautioning against the looming threat posed by the resurgence of terrorist groups in Syria. The UN-designated terrorist groups such as ISIL and Hayat Tahrir al-Sham continue to gain strength in Syria. "The global fight against terrorism cannot and should not be compromised for narrow political gains. The credibility of the international community’s collective fight against terrorism can be strengthened only by ensuring accountability of terrorists and terrorist groups", the Indian envoy said.

She stressed that India continues to call for enhanced and effective humanitarian assistance to all Syrians throughout the country without discrimination, politicization, and preconditions. While cross-border operations are predictable and important, they cannot be operating in perpetuity. Concrete steps need to be taken to address the hurdles that are obstructing the functioning of cross-line operations, added Kamboj.

Syria is undergoing acute fuel and power shortages. The international community also needs to constructively look at promoting projects, which will bring much-needed jobs and economic opportunities for the Syrian people. India reiterated its sustained commitment to extending developmental assistance and human resource development support to Syria.