Reception held on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of India’s Independence Day

Damascus (ST): The Indian Embassy in Damascus held a reception on the occasion of the 77th anniversary of India’s independence Day at the Dama Rose Hotel.

The Chargé d’Affaires of the Indian Embassy in Damascus, Vijay Pandey, affirmed in a speech that India and Syria share excellent relations based on equality and mutual respect, values that are reflected in the thriving bilateral cooperation and close partnership in international forums.

Pandey pointed out that India continues to support the Syrian people in their pursuit of peace, security, development and lasting prosperity, and adopts a principled stance towards a Syrian-led political process in order to achieve a permanent solution to the challenges it faces, while respecting its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

Pandey referred to the humanitarian support provided to Syria, including during the period of the Covid (19) pandemic, and the devastating earthquake that struck it on the sixth of last February, in addition to scholarships and training programs in support of Syrian youth.

Pandey expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the Syrian government and people for their hospitality and support for India and its citizens, praising Syria as a pioneering country for yoga in the Arab world, where yoga was officially introduced as a sport with the contributions of the loving community in cooperation with the General Sports Federation, which plays a positive role in strengthening relations between the two peoples and deepening understanding between the two countries.

The ambassador reviewed what his country has achieved over the past years in terms of progress and success at all levels.

For his part, Director of the Diplomatic Institute at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Imad Mustafa, affirmed that the Syrian-Indian relations are exceptional, historical and solid, which began with India’s struggle to gain its independence and its leadership of the Non-Aligned Movement, to which Syria is proud of its belonging.

Mustafa praised India’s stance towards the crisis in Syria, and all forms of diplomatic, political, cultural, educational and health support it provided, reviewing the regular official visits between the two countries.

K.Q.