India has taken note of the violent escalation in Syria as well as the political turmoil in South Korea, and the Indian missions in both nations are keeping a close watch on the situations, keeping in mind the safety of Indian nationals there, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted that there are around 90 Indian nationals in Syria, including 14 working in various UN organizations.
“We have taken note of the recent escalation in fighting in the north of Syria. We are closely following the situation. There are about 90 Indian nationals in Syria, including 14 who are working in various UN organizations. Our Mission remains in close contact with our nationals for their safety and security,” Jaiswal said in a press briefing on Friday.
The violent offensive by Syrian rebels has reawakened a civil war that had been largely dormant for years, according to CNN. Notablty, since 2020, front lines have largely remained unchanged, with rebel groups confined mainly to a small part of Idlib province.
Hundreds of people appear to have fled the central Syrian city of Homs overnight into Friday, as anti-regime rebels push further south on the road to the capital Damascus, CNN reported.
After capturing the city of Hama to the north on Thursday, the rebels set their sights on the crossroads city of Homs which, if captured, would split the territories under the control of President Bashar al-Assad in two.
The conflict began in 2011, after Assad moved to stamp out peaceful pro-democracy protests during the Arab Spring. Over 3,00,000 civilians have been killed in more than a decade of war, according to the United Nations, with millions more displaced across the region, according to CNN.
Speaking about the political turmoil in South Korea, Jaiswal noted the strong defence cooperation and people-to-people ties between New Delhi and Seoul, Jaiswal affirmed hope that the situation would come under control there.
“We are obviously monitoring the developments in South Korea. We have very strong investment trade linkages. We have very strong defense cooperation with South Korea. We also have very strong people to people ties with South Korea. We also have a large number of internationals who live in South Korea. All these developments, we continue to maintain a close watch, so that if there is any eventuality or anything these may have bearing on safety of our Indian nationals as also bearing on our interests, we maintain a closed watch. And hopefully, we hope that the situation in the country will stabilize soon,” he said.
The row in South Korea erupted after President Yoon Suk Yeol on Tuesday, declared martial law in the country citing threats from “anti-state forces” and North Korean sympathisers.
The order, however, could only stand for four hours after heavy outrage followed by troops descending in the National Assembly. The members of National Assembly mobilised for reversal of Yoon’s order in a 190-0 vote following which the order was lifted.
Yoon, who is facing impeachment, is currently under probe for treason along with the South Korea’s resigned Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Army Chief of Staff General Park An-su and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min, Al Jazeera reported, citing local media reports.
The opposition Democratic Party has called for a vote on Saturday night to impeach Yoon. However, it requires at least eight votes from the ruling party to reach two-thirds majority in the 300-member National Assembly. If the motion is successful, South Korea’s Constitutional Court will take a decision on whether to confirm Yoon’s removal from office, according to Al Jazeera.
Until now, the ruling party had hinted it would oppose the impeachment of Yoon, with some analysts saying that lawmakers feared backlash for going against their own party, as it had happened after the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye in 2016. Later, Park was sentenced to 20 years in prison for corruption before she was pardoned.
Being asked about the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following the border row with China, Jaiswal said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri have already given statements on the issue, adding that the status of patrolling has been restored in Eastern Ladakh.
“Foreign Secretary (Vikram Misri) and External Affairs Minister (S Jaishankar) talked about this in the parliament. As of patrolling in Eastern Ladakh, the situation is restored now,” he said.
Earlier on Thursday, India and China held the 32nd meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC), and both sides positively affirmed the implementation of the most recent disengagement agreement
The two sides also prepared for the next meeting of the Special Representatives, which is to be held in accordance with the decision of the two leaders in their meeting in Kazan on October 23, 2024.
India and China reviewed the situation in border areas, and reflected on the lessons learnt from the events of 2020 in order to prevent their recurrence. In this context, they highlighted the importance of regular exchanges and contacts at diplomatic and military level through established mechanisms, the MEA stated.
Both sides agreed on the need for effective border management and maintenance of peace and tranquillity in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings reached between the two Governments.
In October this year, India and China reached an agreement regarding patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas.
The border standoff between India and China began in eastern Ladakh along the LAC in 2020, and was sparked by Chinese military actions. It led to prolonged tensions between the two nations, significantly straining their relations. (ANI)
