Thaindian News

New Delhi, Feb 15 (IANS) With violence in Syria worsening, India Wednesday said there cannot be a “one size fits all” solution and stressed on the resolution of the crisis through dialogue and reconciliation when External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna met the chief of the United Nations General Assembly here.

Krishna held talks with Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, the PGA, with discussions dominated by the worsening crisis in Syria.

During the discussions, India conveyed that the crisis in the Middle East country should be resolved through dialogue and pushed for a Syrian-led reconciliation process, official sources said.

During the talks, Krishna also underlined that India has vital stakes in the peace and stability in West Asia which is home to around 6 million-strong Indian diaspora.

As Al-Nasser is also heading the UN inter-governmental negotiations on expansion of the UN Security Council, the progress in the UN reforms was also discussed.

Al-Nasser will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Thursday.

India is currently a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and is pitching for a permanent seat in the council.

The situation in Syria also figured in a separate meeting Krishna had with the Saudi ambassador in the evening, said the sources.

At a seminar, Sanjay Singh, secretary (east) in the external affairs ministry said India has “special ties” with the Arab world and it was monitoring the developments in the region “closely.”

He cautioned against “foreign influence” in the resolution of disputes.

“We cannot have one size fits all solution for all,” he said while speaking at a conference here on “The Arab Spring: Region and India.

“The government (India) feels that UN and regional bodies should play their part. It also has observed that some of the countries in transition require assistance and Government of India is ready to play its part,” he said.

Early this month, India voted for a UN resolution backed by the Arab League and the US that condemned the crackdown on protesters in Syria. India has stressed for a Syrian-led democratic transition, but made it clear that it was not in favour of a regime change.