Need Syria-led solution to conflict: PM

Damascus walks out of NAM summit after Egypts Morsi calls regime oppressive

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Thursday said that while India supported popular aspirations in West Asia and North Africa,it was against such changes being prompted by external intervention.

Singh called for a Syria-led process to resolve the worsening situation in that country.

Singh spoke soon after the Syrian delegation walked out in protest against Egypts President Mohammed Morsis statement that the Egyptian revolution was the cornerstone of the Arab Spring,and after Libya and Yemen,the revolution was in Syria against its oppressive regime.

At the Non-Aligned Movement Summit,Singh said: As the worlds largest democracy,India supports popular aspirations for a democratic and pluralistic order. Nevertheless,such transformations cannot be prompted by external intervention,which exacerbate the suffering of ordinary citizens. The deteriorating situation in Syria is a matter of particular concern.

The PM called for NAM to take a stand keeping in mind universally accepted principles,and urged a peaceful resolution of the crisis through a Syrian-led inclusive political process that can meet the legitimate aspirations of all Syrian citizens.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon urged NAM member states to help strengthen democratic institutions and to not arm either side in the conflict. Ultimately it is the responsibility of the Syrian government to listen to the aspirations of its people find a resolution, Ban said.

Morsi,the first Egyptian president to visit Iran after 1979,has been pushing for a group comprising Egypt,Iran,Turkey and Saudi Arabia to negotiate a settlement with Assads government. Following Syrias protest on Thursday,however,it is unclear what this so-called Tehran Initiative might be able to achieve.

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India does not see the summit as an occasion to resolve the Syrian issue. Senior sources in the government said that despite the fiery speeches by its leaders,Iran too is not trying to alter settled formulations in the NAM outcome document. Indias understanding is that Iran is more keen to project solidarity on Syria than to provoke differences that might threaten the successful conclusion of the summit.

The Prime Minister later met his Syrian counterpart Wael Nader al-Halqi,who told Singh that much of the violence in his country was being instigated from outside. Singh repeated the line from his address that India supported a Syrian-led inclusive process for a resolution of the issue. He also welcomed and supported the appointment of Lakhdar Brahimi as the joint special envoy for Syria.

In his address,the PM expressed hope for a stable and peaceful West Asia. He called for NAM to take the lead in building credible and effective global governance structures.