At UNSC informal meet, India expresses concern over Turkish actions in northern Syria

At an informal United Nations Security Council meet on Syria, India expressed concerns over Turkish actions destabilizing the situation in the northern part of the country.

Without taking names, Indian diplomat to UN Pratik Mathur said, "threats of launching “military operations” by external actors in the territory of Syriahave further worsened the situation."

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has said that his country is launching military operations in northern Syrian areas of Tal Rifaat, Manbij. Interestingly both Russiaand US have opposed the Turkish action and believe that it will create instability in the region.

Mathur highlighted, "hostilities, including airstrikes and shelling in north-west Syria, continue to affect civilians, including women and children, and we remain gravely concerned with an increase in airstrikes in north-west Syria at the end of April."

The Indian diplomat was speaking at the Arria formula meeting mechanism of the UNSC on Syria. The meet was organized by the US, Albania, UK with additional co-sponsors Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Qatar and Turkey and in partnership with the Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC).

The Arria formula is a mechanism under which informal meetings on any issue areorganized without going through the process followed at the high table and even experts can be invited to speak. The meet was first organized by Venezuelan diplomat Ambassador Diego Arria in 1992 and gets its name from him.

Pratik Mathur on the UN's involvement inthe situation in the country said, "We hope that UN-facilitated political track will gain the much-needed momentum. We also welcome the agreement over holding the next round of meeting in end of July."

The Syrian crisis is among the worst humanitarian crisis the world is dealing with and more than 14 million people across the country now need humanitarian assistance.

Pratik Mathurreaffirmed India's"commitment to advancing a Syrian-led and Syrian-owned UN-facilitated political process in line with UN Security Council Resolution 2254' and that New Delhi "firmly believes that long-term security and stability of the region can only be achieved by preserving the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria."

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