India on Monday afternoon it is monitoring the situation in Syria and called on all stakeholders to “work towards preserving the unity, sovereignty, and territorial integrity” of the West Asian country.In a brief statement the Ministry of External Affairs said, “We advocate a peaceful and inclusive Syrian-led political process respecting the interests and aspirations of all sections of Syrian society.” The embassy in Damascus “is in contact with the Indian community”, the government also said.
Last week the government issued a high-priority advisory to Indian planning on visiting Syria “avoid all travel… till further notice”, and urged those already there to “leave by the earliest available flights”.
The MEA’s statement comes amid continuing chaos in Syria following Islamist-led rebel factions’ lightning advance into the capital over the past two weeks, which forced President Bashar al-Assad to flee the country Sunday; Russian news agencies have since claimed he is in Moscow.