New Delhi, Jan 7 (ANI): The Arab-India Intellectuals Forum (TAIIF) has been formed to deepen people to people contacts among the millions in India and the Arab world in order to cement those bonds for mutual benefit.

Bouthaina Shaaban, Political and Media Advisor at the Syrian Presidency and former Minister of Expatriates, inaugurated the forum here on Wednesday.

She said that it is better to have people to people contact in the age of internet and e-mails in order to understand each other cultures in a better manner.

Shaaban is in New Delhi to sort out the obstacles in pending agreements between India and Syria and increase the co-ordination between the two countries.

The TAAIF is an intellectual forum meant to raise awareness about the importance of close ties and the rich heritage and civilization, which both countries share and acknowledge as ancient gifts to humanity.

The objectives of the TAIIF is to strengthen people to people contacts and develop interest about each other’s rich heritage, culture and promote deeper understanding of each others problems, potentials, aspirations, recognize and award people working in different fields and join hands with other organisations on both sides.

The founding members of the TAIIF are Dr. Waiel S H Awwad, M J Akbar, Ambassador K P Fabian, Lajo Gupta, Dr. Shihah Ghanem, Abdullah Abdul Rahman, Syed Shahid Mahdi, Dr. Zakrurahman, Akbar Khan, Professor A K Pasha, John Cherian, Sirajuddin Qurashi, Naresh Kapuria and Harish Narula. (ANI)