Syria’s Ambassador to India Blames Countries Supporting Cross-Border Terrorism for Syrian Refugee Crisis

NEW DELHI, (ST)-The countries supporting and funding cross-border terrorism are responsible for the Syrian refugee crisis, Syria’s Ambassador in India Riad Abbas has underscored.

In a statement during a dialogue session on the refugee crisis within the framework of the Annual Media Forum of the Indian “India Today” TV Channel, Abbas reiterated that “the cross-border terrorism funded and supported by western countries and some regional regimes is the main cause of displacing the Syrians and for the refugee crisis.”

“Syria was an oasis of security, stability and economic prosperity before the crisis in the country erupted, ” the ambassador said, adding that “Syria was the destination of refugees who fled wars and crisis in their countries and it has hosted four million refugees from several countries over the past decades.”

 The Syrian diplomat pointed out that the Turkish regime has exploited the refugee crisis as a pressure card against Europe, because of the European countries’ refusal to allow Turkey to join the EU.

He hailed India’s support for Syria’s fight against terrorism and its effort to find a political solution to the crisis.

On his part, Venu Rajamony, the Press Secretary to the Indian President and the Media Advisor of the Indian Foreign Ministry, stressed that the world needs to share responsibility towards solving the refugee crisis caused by terrorism.

Rajamony, who criticized the West’s stance on the crisis in Syria, affirmed this crisis can be solved by “building bridges not barriers”, noting the need not to let the developing countries carry the entire burden of the refugee crisis alone.”

Hamda Mustafa