The President was offered a ceremonial welcome ceremony at the forecourt of the presidential palace after which al-Assad held delegation level and one-to-one talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Hyderabad House.

Talks with PM

Describing India as a “moderating influence” in world affairs, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was in a position to advise the United States and the West on how to be more balanced and sensitive in its dealings with the Middle East.

Dr. Assad briefed the Indian Prime Minister on Syria’s indirect talks with Israel and the state of the peace process in West Asia. He stressed the importance of finding a peaceful solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

Dr. Singh briefed the Syrian President about the situation in Afghanistan and South Asia.

On the economic side, the two leaders agreed to expand bilateral cooperation across the board. Senior officials said the specific areas identified by the two sides include phosphates, power, oil and gas as well as IT.

India’s Role

Addressing a press conference, Assad said Syria is keen on engaging India to play a key role in the Middle East because it has credibility. “India has that credibility because of its traditional support to Arab cause and good relations with Israel and the US”, he said.

Syria and Israel recently launched their talks after a gap of 8 years, with Turkey playing the role of a moderator. Israel seized the strategic plateau ‘Golan Heights’ from Syria in 1967 during the Arab-Israeli war and annexed it in 1981, which continues to be a cause of friction between the two countries.

Business Climate

Speaking at a luncheon meeting with the business community, organised by CII and FICCI, Assad expressed willingness to take help from India in infrastructure development. He called upon the Indian businessmen to explore joint ventures in infrastructure, energy, IT, mineral processing etc

Dr. Assad said: “I invite you to explore opportunities for joint ventures and other collaboration in major areas, including infrastructure development, energy production and mineral processing as well as IT education and training opportunities.”

The Syrian President said the priority of his government was to create a “fertile investment environment”. Assad said measures were afoot to set up the country’s first stock market. Elimination of restrictions on imports, lower tariffs for local manufacturing and increased access to foreign markets are high on the agenda.

Agreements

Agreement on avoidance of double taxation and prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of agriculture and allied sectors were signed after talks with the Indian leaders.

The Syrian president also visited the National Informatics Centre and ISRO. President Pratibha Patil hosted a banquet for the visiting president and his delegation at Rashtrapati Bhavan, the presidential palace. President al-Assad also visited Agra and Bangalore before leaving for Damascus.