The Syrian Foreign Minister Explained Why India Should Now Be Considered A Global Power
Syria and its representatives exert outsized influence in shaping popular perceptions within the Alt-Media Community so it’s worthwhile reviewing exactly what its Foreign Minister just said about India in his latest interview.
Syrian Foreign Minister Fayssal Mekdad gave an exclusive interview to India’s WION during his trip to that country to meet with his counterpart, External Affairs Minister Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. That top diplomat’s praise of his host’s growing global role is expected to reverberate widely across the Alt-Media Community (AMC) owing to their respect for Syria’s legendary anti-terrorist and pro-sovereignty successes over the past decade. It’s therefore important to take note of exactly what he just said.
Foreign Minister Mekdad’s first reference to India in his interview was when he thanked the country for rallying to help his own, albeit in a different way than its Russian and Iranian allies have. He later attributed this assistance to India’s interest in stopping the spread of terrorism from Syria to its home region of South Asia. Building upon his partner’s broader interests, Foreign Minister Mekdad then said that his country is in favor of a multipolar world where India and others play a much greater role.
Delhi’s independent foreign policy was on display all throughout the course of the Syrian Conflict as evidenced by it declining to shutter its embassy in Damascus despite dozens of countries having done so over the past decade. This enabled bilateral relations to remain intact across that time, which in turn strengthened their partnership to the point where Foreign Minister Mekdad just carried out his maiden trip to India, which he mentioned is conveniently only a four-hour flight away.
According to him, “Whatever is dangerous for Syria is dangerous for India. We are both secular countries, we believe in democratic principles and are determined that strong ties of civilisation and democracy, exchanges go millennia in time. Relations existed deep in history and are going deeper and deeper every day.” This part of his interview is among the most important since it clarifies several things that will now be touched upon.
Syria and its representatives exert outsized influence in shaping popular perceptions within the AMC so it’s significant that Foreign Minister Mekdad described India as a democratic and secular millennia-long civilization. This will inevitably erode some of the negative views that some in the AMC have recently come to have about political and socio-cultural processes in what will soon be the world’s most populous country (if it isn’t already). It also acknowledges India’s role as a rising civilization-state.
These observations help explain why Syria’s top diplomat believes that India should be granted a permanent seat at the UNSC. He wouldn’t support this if he truly thought that it was an anti-democratic and religiously extremist country on the verge of “Balkanization” like some have previously presented it as. Once again, keeping in mind Syria’s sway in shaping popular perceptions within the AMC, it therefore follows that Foreign Minister Mekdad’s praise will improve India’s standing in the eyes of that audience.
He didn’t stop there, however, but continued by describing India as “the heart of Asia”. This implies that his hosts will lead the Asian Century that many predict will unfold across the coming decades. It also reaffirms Syria’s view that India is truly a rising power in the global systemic transition to multipolarity, which intrepid readers can learn more about here, here, here, and here. This observation perfectly aligns with Russia’s official position as recently expressed by President Putin.
The last relevant part of Foreign Minister Mekdad’s interview saw him praising the morality-driven basis of Indian foreign policy. He said that “at a time humanity doesn't mean anything to western power, we found all human noble concepts prevailing in Indian foreign policy.” That can be interpreted as acknowledgement of India’s guiding principles of enlightened self-interest and strategic morality that were elaborated upon earlier this month by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh.
Syria’s top diplomat then concluded his latest media appearance with the following words about India’s grand strategy: “We have found Indian support for our and other just causes. India is not a country that hesitates when the question comes to helping people get free, get democratic and get independent. We welcome the role played by India.” These words more so than any of the others that he shared will go the furthest in reshaping popular perceptions of India among the AMC.