Embassy of India
Damascus, Syria

India-Syria Bilateral Relations

India-Syria Bilateral Relations

India and Syria enjoy friendly relations based on historic and civilizational ties. Both countries have had a secular, nationalist and developmental orientation with similar perceptions on many regional and international issues. India's traditional support for the just Arab causes, notably on the Palestinian issue and for the return of the occupied Golan Heights to Syria, has been appreciated by the Syrians. Mahatma Gandhi, Tagore and Nehru are remembered with great respect in Syria.

India's friendly relations with Syria stood the test of time when the Syrian crisis broke out in 2011. India took its principled stand in resolving the conflict in a non-military way and through an inclusive Syrian-led political process, which has been appreciated by the Syrian Government and people alike. India has continued to maintain its Embassy in Damascus even during the peak of the crisis.

India continues to stress on a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned political process, in line with UNSC Resolution 2254, with a firm commitment to the sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity of the Syrian Arab Republic. India also believes that regional countries, particularly Syria’s Arab neighbours have an important role to play, if we were to see any progress on the political track. India has been consistent in calling for support to the regional efforts in finding a long-term solution to the conflict. India welcomed the progressive normalization of Syria’s relations with its Arab neighbours.

India continues to support the UN Special Envoy Geir Pedersen’s ‘step by step’ approach; for in our view his efforts towards making incremental progress by engaging with all parties is the only way to end this protracted conflict. To this end, India supports Special Envoy’s engagements with Damascus and the Astana Guarantors as well as with other regional partners like UAE, Lebanon and Jordan. India continues to emphasis that there is a need to continue to build bridges of trust between all sides.

India expressed concern over Israel's attack on Iranian Consulate building in Damascus. In a weekly press briefing (4 April 2024), the MEA spokesperson stated that India is concerned over the Israeli attack which targeted the Iranian Consulate in Damascus.

Bilateral Visits:

I) Prime Minister Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee paid a visit to Syria in November 2003, during which 9 agreements in diverse fields were signed. Establishment of Biotechnology Centre in Damascus with Indian technical assistance and a grant of US$ 1 million and LoC of US$ 25 million were announced during the visit.

ii) President Bashar Al-Assad paid a state visit to India in June 2008. He was accompanied by Mrs. Assad and several Ministers. A Work Plan on Cooperation in Agriculture was also signed during the visit. India's offers to set up an IT Center of Excellence and to carry out a feasibility study on utilisation of phosphate resources of Syria were accepted by Syria.

iii) President Smt. Pratibha Patil, accompanied by a large business delegation, paid a State visit to Syria in Nov 2010. During the visit, LoC of US$ 100 million was offered to Syria. A contribution of 2 million Syrian pounds was made to a Syrian NGO-AAMAL and over 1 million Syrian pounds to Missionaries of Charity, Aleppo. MoU for cooperation in the field of media and a Cultural Exchange Programme were signed during the visit.

iv) Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh met Syrian Prime Minister Wael Al Halki on the side-lines of the NAM summit in Tehran in August 2012. PM expressed concern over the continued violence in Syria and conveyed support for a Syrian-led political process to resolve the crisis.

v) Syrian Deputy PM, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Mr. Walid Al Mouallem paid an official visit to India on January 11-14, 2016 and met then EAM Smt. Sushma Swaraj and NSA Shri Ajit Doval. They discussed cooperation in combating terrorism, situation in Syria and the political solution of the crisis.

vi) MoS for External Affairs Shri M. J. Akbar visited Syria in August 2016. During the visit, he called on President, Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister and other dignitaries. The talks were focused on India-Syria bilateral relations,developmental assistance and issues of common interest like terrorism, ISIS etc.

vii) Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs & Expatriates Dr. Fayssal Mekdad paid an official visit to India from 17-21 November 2022. During the visit, held talks with EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar on bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. Discussion between the two sides touched upon extending humanitarian & developmental support to Syria, capacity building of Syrian youth and collaboration in sectors like fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, IT, etc. During the visit, Dr. Mekdad called on Vice President Shri Jagdeep Dhankhar, interacted with the Indian business community at CII and addressed a gathering at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses. The Syrian delegation also visited the Centre of Excellence of NASSCOM in Gurugram.

viii) Hon’ble Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs Shri V. Muraleedharan paid an official visit to Syria from 12-13 July 2023, the first Ministerial-level visit from India to Syria since August 2016. During the visit, MoS called on H.E. Dr. Bashar Al Assad, President and H.E. Eng. Hussein Arnous, Prime Minister of Syria and discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties, including development partnership assistance, education and capacity building. He also met Foreign Minister, Health Minister and Higher Education Minister. Both sides emphasized on their strong, historical and deep-rooted ties, reiterating continuity of mutual support in all fields and at international fora.

Recent Bilateral Exchanges:

i) On September 3, 2020, MoS (VM) had a wide ranging discussion with the Syrian FM Dr. Fayssal Mekdad virtually.

ii) EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar met with Syrian FM Dr. Fayssal Mekdad on 26 September 2021 on the sidelines of UNGA in New York and again on 24 September 2022 at the same venue.

iii) Secretary (CPV & OIA) visited Damascus on 2 October 2022 for inauguration of the Second Artificial Limb Fitment Camp. He called on the FM Dr. Fayssal Mekdad and Minister of Social Affairs and Labour Mr. Mohammad Seif El-Din.

iv) Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs & Expatriates Dr. Faisal al-Mekdad visited India from 17-21st November, 2022 for strengthening political & economic relations between our two countries.

v) On 13 January 2023, H.E. Mr. Bassam Radwan Tohme, Minister of Oil and Mineral Resources of Syria participated in the 1st Voice of Global South Summit in the session of Energy Ministers, chaired by H.E. Shri Hardeep S Puri, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

vi) Joint Secretary (DPA-I), Shri Sridharan M. led a delegation to visit Syria on 12-13 April, 2023 to discuss outstanding LoC dues from Syria.

vii) On 17 November 2023, H.E. Dr. Fayssal Mekdad, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of Syria participated in the 2nd Voice of Global South Summit in the Foreign Ministers’ Session chaired by H.E. Dr S. Jaishankar, External Affairs Minister.

viii) In July 2024, following the tragic stampede incident in Hathras, Uttar Pradesh, Syria extended its deepest condolences and sincere sympathies to the India and to the families of the victims. It affirmed its solidarity and support for the Indian people in this painful tragedy and wished a speedy recovery for the wounded.

ix) In July 2024, Syria expressed its profound condolences over the victims of landslides that occurred in the state of Kerala. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates stressed in a statement Syria’s solidarity and support for India’s government and people over the painful occurrence that claimed the lives of more than one hundred people, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured.

x) MEA organised (19-22 August 2024) a visit of Senior Officials from Health Ministries of 25 countries. Two 2 Senior officials from Syria namely Dr. Rita Shehadeh, Head of Microbiology Department, Directorate of Pharmaceutical Control and Research Laboratories and Dr. Amal Enawi, Head of Qualification & Training Department, Directorate of Pharmaceutical Control and Research Laboratories visited India. During the visit, the officials met their Indian counterparts at Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), Ghaziabad (New Delhi). As part of industry engagement, the delegation also visited Janaushadhi Kendra and AMRIT store in Agra (state of Uttar Pradesh) and the state-of-the-art vaccine/drugs manufacturing units and R&D facilities at Genome Valley in Hyderabad city.

xi) H.E. Ms. Rania Ahmad, Deputy Minister of Economy and Foreign Trade, Syrian Arab Republic participated in the inaugural edition of the CII-India Mediterranean Business Conclave that was organised by CII in partnership with Ministry of External Affairs of India on 6 September 2024.

xii) In September 2024, Syria extended its condolences to India for the floods that claimed more than 30 lives and displaced hundreds of people in the states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and reiterated Syria’s support for the Government and people of India against catastrophes and crisis.

There has been excellent cooperation with Syria in multilateral forums. Syria continues to unconditionally support Indian candidatures at international platforms.

Development and Humanitarian Assistance

India has been extending development and humanitarian assistance to Syria in different forms over the years. In wake of the devastating earthquake in Syria on 06th February, 2023, Government of India had sent two special flights containing 30 tonnes of relief material.

At Brussels conferences on Syria, India pledged USD 2.5 million in 2013, USD 2.5 million in 2014, USD 2 million in 2015 for developmental assistance. The funding was routed to Syria through UN offices. In 2016, India chose to extend assistance of USD 6 million bilaterally in the form of food items and medicines.

In response to a request from the Syrian Government for emergency humanitarian assistance, GoI gifted 2,000 MT of rice to Syria in Feb-March 2021.

Assistance during COVID pandemic: On July 2, 2020, India sent a 10 MT consignment of medicines to Syria to assist the country in the fight against COVID pandemic. This was the largest ever medical assistance from any country to Syria in the pandemic time and also the first humanitarian assistance since the imposition of US sanctions Act on Syrian government on June 17, 2020. Earlier in March 2018, India had delivered humanitarian aid worth US$ 6 million in the form of pharmaceuticals and food stuff (tea, sugar, palm oil).

Limb Camps: Under 'India for Humanity' initiative launched by MEA as a part of the Gandhi150 celebrations, an Artificial Limb Fitment Camp was organized in Damascus in Dec 2019 – Jan 2020. During the 38-days camp, a total of 515 limbs were fixed to 483 beneficiaries from different parts of Syria. The 2nd Artificial Limb Fitment Camp in Damascus was inaugurated by Secretary (CPV & OIA) Dr. Ausaf Sayeed on October 2, 2022 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti. 531 Syrian nationals benefited from the services of the camp. We have also offered training of Syrian nationals for fitment of limbs in India under ITEC.

Next-Gen Center for Information Technology (NexGen IS-CEIT): The Centre was set up in Damascus with the assistance of C-DAC in Dec. 2010. An agreement was signed between GoI and Government of Syria in October 2019 for upgrading it into a Next-Gen Center at an estimated cost of Rs 4 crore. The project has been completed and handed over to the Government of Syria on 20 October 2021.

Anti-cancer Medicines: In wake of the devastating earthquake in Syria on 06th February, 2023, Government of India had sent two special flights containing 30 tonnes of relief material. The consignment also contained specialized anti-cancer medicines which were handed over to the Ministry of Health, Syria on March 09, 2023. Government of India sent another consignment of anti-cancer medicines weighing around 1400 kgs as humanitarian assistance to the Government and people of Syria. The consignment was formally handed over to Ministry of Health by Ambassador Dr. Irshad Ahmad on 26 August 2024.

Financial assistance from the state of Kerala to Syria: State of Kerala, India donated an amount of 20 million Indian Rupees (INR) (approximately 240,000 USD) as financial assistance to the 2023 earthquake victims of Syria.

Capacity Building

India has been actively involved in capacity building of the Syrian youth in different ways. Under the “Study in India” programme, a total of 1500 seats have been offered to Syrian students for UG, Master and Ph.D. programmes in four phases since 2017-18 with emphasis on technical and managerial capacity building of Syrian youth.

Currently, GoI is offering 25 ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) scholarships to pursue various bachelors, masters and doctorate programmes in reputed Universities in India. Also, some seats are offered to Syrian nationals to pursue courses in Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy under the AYUSH Scholarship Scheme of ICCR. Scholarships for Syrian students to learn Hindi are also offerred under the Scheme of Propagation of Hindi Abroad at Kendriya Hindi Sansthan Agra.

A total of 90 trainings slots are offered to Syria annually under ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme), which are short-term professional training programmes. India made a tailor-made training programme, under ITEC, for 13 Syrian Officers from Supreme Audit Institution, Syria and that too in Arabic language in September 2024 at International Centre for Information Systems and Audit (iCISA), which is the International Training Centre of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).

The Foreign Service Institutes of the both countries signed an MoU of cooperation in January 2018. Three batches of the Syrian diplomats have since availed special trainings in India successively in (26) 2018, (40) 2019 and (19) 2020 and total Syrian diplomats trained by FSI are 85. 2nd Global South Young Diplomats Forum was held at Sushma Swaraj Institute of Foreign Service (SSIFS) from 09-20 September 2024 in which a Syrian diplomat also participated.

Economic & Commercial Engagements

An LoC of US$ 240 million was extended to Syria in May 2009 for part financing (52%) of the 2x200 MW Tishreen Thermal Power Plant Extension project costing US$ 430 million. The project was awarded to BHEL with a total disbursement of US$ 100 million so far. The project was halted force-majeure by BHEL when the crisis began in Syria in 2011.

India has facilitated development and modernization of the Hama Iron & Steel Plant in Syria, under a LoC of US$ 25 million extended in 2008. Indian company Apollo International Limited along with GECOSTEEL, under the Syrian Ministry of Industry completed the project in May 2017.

India and Syria have a mechanism of Joint Commission Meeting (JCM). The 2nd JCM was held in June 2010 in Damascus. The 3rd JCM in Delhi could not be held due to COVID-19 pandemic. Both sides are keen on holding the JCM at the earliest possible opportunity to drive the bilateral partnership, particularly the economic engagement.

India assisted Syria in carrying out a feasibility study on augmentation of its phosphate production. A consortium of Indian companies, comprising of PDIL, RITES and MECON carried out the study. An MoU on Cooperation in Fertilizer sector was concluded in October 2010 to facilitate Indian involvement in the development of phosphate fertilizer sector in Syria.

Indian companies have long association in the Syrian oil sector since 2004, which includes two significant investments of US$ 350 million. ONGC Videsh Limited (OVL) entered Syria with a 60% participating interest (PI) in an Exploration Block-24 in 2004. Subsequently, OVL acquired a stake of 37% jointly with CNPC in Al Furat Petroleum Company (AFPC) in January 2016. Due to the challenging security situation, the operational activities are suspended in Block-24 since 2012.

Bilateral Trade:

*Source – Ministry of Commerce, GoI

Major commodities of Export to Syria: Major commodities of Export to Syria: Cereals (especially rice), Pharmaceutical products, Man-made filaments, Cotton yarns and textiles, organic chemicals, etc.

Major commodities of Import from Syria: Almonds, wool, leather, cumin, black sesame, minerals (phosphate), olive oil, tobacco, dry fruits, etc.

Himalaya Herbals has a joint venture providing technical know-how and materials for manufacture and marketing of herbal drugs and cosmetics in Syria (further progress suspended on account of the ongoing crisis). Mahindra & Mahindra signed a 10 year contract with M/s Al Furat Tractor Company for supply of tractors with a provision for Assembly Joint Venture in the future that could amount to over Euro 30 million (Progress halted due to sanctions on Syria).

People to People Relations

India features as an influence in Syrian culture historically through the Silk Route and in particular through the adaptation of the Panchatantra into the Arabic ‘Kalila wa Dimna’. More recent influences have been Tagore and the eminent Syrian poet and Ambassador to India Omar Abu Risheh (1954-59). The Cultural Exchange Programme, in effect since 1975, provides framework for bilateral cooperation. A number of cultural delegations from India have visited Syria and vice versa, under the programme. Executive Program for Cultural Cooperation is now proposed to be renewed for another period of 3 years.

Syrian people are fond of Indian culture. Bollywood movies are very popular among them. India is seen as the most active country in Syria involved in organizing cultural activities even during the crisis period. Indian cultural week was observed in Damascus and Latakia in April 2017, with screening of Bollywood films in both cities and performances by a 6-member Odissi Dance troupe, sponsored by ICCR. In January 2018, a Rajasthani Folk troupe rendered four performances in different cities. More recently, a 15 member Bhagra Group “Bhola Panchhi” visited Syria from 30 January - February 03, 2022 sponsored by ICCR.

Yoga is also very popular in Syria. Syria is a leader in the Arab world for Yoga. Yoga has been officially included as a sports under the Sports Federation of Syria. The 10th International Day of Yoga was celebrated in a grand manner in June 2024 in several cities of Syria, including Damascus, Jableh and Homs. Kabaddi is also being practised by many in Syria.

Literary exchanges between the Arab Writers Union of Syria and the Sahitya Akademi, through an MoU signed in 2003 has led to translations of works of Syrian and Indian writers into Arabic and Indian languages and regular exchange of delegations between Sahitya Akademi and Arab Writers Union.

Under the Distinguished Visitors' Programme (DVP) of ICCR, senior leader of the ruling Ba'ath Party and Head of the Higher Education Bureau Dr. Mohsen Bilal visited India in November 2019. Earlier in 2017, the Grand Mufti of Syria visited India under the same Programme. He has always been a vociferous admirer of India.

Since 2016, Syria has been a regular participant in the Surajkund International Crafts Mela held annually in Faridabad. In 2019, Syrian artist Iskandar Istrefan Alhalaby from Syria won the Kala Ratna award for Mosaic craft.

Indian Community

The size of the Indian community in Syria has shrunk significantly due to the civil war in Syria. Presently, the number of Indian nationals in Syria is about 92, including 14 who are working in various UN Organisations and NGOs in Syria. Majority of Indians are skilled workers in private companies and self-employed.

Bilateral Visits

A. Syria to India

B. India to Syria