Syrian ambassador to India Dr Riad Kamel Abbas said the problem between India and Pakistan has to be solved by the two countries without any external assistance.

Syria has firmly backed India's position on Kashmir saying the issue is an internal matter of the country and New Delhi has the right to solve it in any manner.

Syrian ambassador to India Dr Riad Kamel Abbas told Mail Today that the problem between India and Pakistan has to be solved by the two countries under the Shimla convention without any external assistance.

Abbas said Syria's position on the issue has been different from other countries in the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) which has taken the contrary view.

Also Read: Pakistan meddling in Kashmir with local help: Arun Jaitley to India Today



SYRIA AND INDIA FACING CROSS-BORDER TERRORISM



Upbeat about minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar's visit to Damascus where he met Syrian president Bashar Al Assad, Abbas said the two countries can learn from each other in tackling terrorism. Both Syria and India are facing cross-border terrorism, he said.

"What is going on in Kashmir is first step of terrorism. The government of India has right to solve it in any manner," he said.

INDIA'S ASSISTANCE REQUIRED IN RE-BUILDING SYRIA



The ambassador claimed that there is enormous scope of improving economic ties between Damascus and New Delhi. Syria is looking up to India for assistance in re-building the war-ravaged country. Abbas said he will be leading a delegation of Indian business persons to Syria to explore investment opportunities.

The delegation will include representatives from petroleum, electrical, information technology and hospitals industry.

TERRORISTS DON'T BELONG TO ISLAM



Talking about the situation in Syria, the ambassasdor said his government can send jihadis seeking Jihad Al Nikah, the sexual jihad, to hell within a month if cross-border terrorism is stopped and their funding is blocked. He said that there are 3.6 lakh terrorists in Syria and the government forces were capable of eliminating them. The ambassador said the terrorists don't belong to Islam even if they chant Allah hu Akbar.

Recognising that the world's position on Syria has changed after the terrorist attacks in Europe and from removing the Assad government, most countries barring a few are now backing him.

Also Read: First talk terror, India tells Pakistan again

SYRIAN AMBASSADOR RESONATES MODI'S WORDS ON TERRORISM



Quoting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Abbas said there is no distinction between good and bad terrorism. The world has come to realise that terrorism has no boundaries.

"Cross-border terrorism is a challenge to both (India and Syria) the countries," he said, adding that security agencies of New Delhi and Damascus were already cooperating on the issue through information-sharing.

He said Syria is keen to engage extensively with the BRICS countries and will fight for its sovereignty till its enemies are defeated.



Also read - India has a role to play in combating terror: Assad







