India may make fresh efforts to end Syrian crisis

• India is poised again for a more active role in Syria, after having been involved in unsuccessful attempts to resolve the conflict in that country when it was a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council for two years.
• India would join international efforts to destroy chemical weapons at Geneva II, the U.N.-sponsored international conference on Syria, scheduled in January, 2014. The first meeting resulted in the Geneva communiqué that supported a political transition without insisting on President Bashar-al Assad’s exit and a transition plan. India was also an Observer in Friends of Syria, a grouping that tried to push through regime change.
• Also there is a possibility that India might join international efforts to destroy Syria’s stockpile. The destruction of Syria’s chemical weapons involves multi-state participation. India was an early supporter of Russia’s proposal for keeping Syria’s stockpile of chemical weapons in safe custody, even while opposing military intervention and moving towards a political settlement, possibly with Geneva-II.
• India has also announced its contribution of $1 million to the OPCW. The percentage of Indians in OPCW inspections worldwide has always been high and Indian facilities.
• Indian experts will help destroy the stockpile and train other personnel taking part in this mission. India is one of the founder-signatories to the Chemical Weapons Convention and has destroyed its weapons in accordance with the Convention.