Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar meets Syrian Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad

New Delhi, November 18: Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday held a meeting with Syria's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Dr Faisal Mekdad in Delhi. Dr Mekdad arrived in New Delhi on November 17 for a five-day visit to India.

In the pictures, Jagdeep Dhankhar and Faisal Mekdad shook hands as they began their meeting. Upon his arrival in New Delhi, Arindam Bagchi, the official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs extended a "warm welcome" to Fayssal Mekdad.

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Arindam Bagchi tweeted, "Warm welcome to FM Fayssal Mekdad of Syria on his maiden visit to India. Looking forward to a productive visit." The Ministry of External Affairs said that Dr Faisal Mekdad's visit to India will further boost the bilateral ties between the two nations.

Earlier on October 2, Ausaf Sayeed, Secretary (CPV & OIA) visited Damascus. He met with Syria's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Dr Faisal Mekdad. During the meeting, Sayeed and Mekdad discussed various bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Both sides identified key areas of bilateral cooperation, including renewable energy, pharmaceuticals, fertilizers, civil aviation, and vocational training. Ausaf Sayeed also met with Mohamed Seif El-Din, Syria's Minister of Social Affairs & Labour of Syria.

Ausaf Sayeed announced 200 scholarships for Syrian Students under Phase III of Study in India programme in the current academic year. According to the Ministry of External Affairs press release, 1,000 Syrian students have benefitted from the first two phases of the scholarship scheme.

He also inaugurated the Second Artificial Limb Fitment Camp (Jaipur Foot) in Damascus for the needy people of Syria on the occasion of the 153rd Birth Anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. The Ministry of External Affairs noted, "The visit of Secretary (CPV & OIA) to Syria provided the much-needed impetus to our bilateral relations with the country."

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Earlier in September, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met his Syrian counterpart Faisal Mekdad on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During the meeting, the two leaders discussed education, training and capacity building.

Sharing details regarding his meeting, Dr S Jaishankar tweeted, "Good to have met Foreign Minister Dr. Faisal Mekdad of Syria. Welcomed his appreciation of the Jaipur Foot Camp in his country. Spoke about education, training and capacity building."