As the British push for a draft resolution to enact UN Security Council sanctions against the Bashar al-Assad led Syrian regime, they are hoping that India will support the resolution.
The resolution, which is expected to come up for voting soon, has the support of the US, France and some other countries too.
Irfan Siddiq, who heads the fairly new Arab Partnership department in the UK’s Foreign Commonwealth Office (FCO) was in the capital on Monday to seek Indian support for the resolution which threatens sanctions against Syria if there is failure to comply with its stipulations.
While India had abtained from voting on a UNSC resolution on Syria in October last year, in February this year it voted in favour of yet another UNSC resolution. However, it ensured a watering down of the resolution and ensured that the word “automatic measures” to ensure compliance by Syria were omitted from the resolution.
Now that yet another UNSC resolution is in the offing, the United Kingdom is hoping that it will have India’s backing.
Mr Irfan Siddiq met senior officials of the external affairs ministry on Monday to seek India’s support for the draft resolution.
“We’re looking to India as a responsible actor and a key player in the UN Security Council to support measures to increase the pressure on the Syrian regime and to do the right thing and stop the killing of its own people,” said Mr Siddiq prior to his meetings.
The British diplomat further said that the United Kingdom would be trying to convince India to “play a more pro-active role in this issue”.