MoS Murleedharan announces 300 new scholarships for Syrian students

Minister of State (MoS) for External Affairs V Muraleedharan on his 2-day visit to Syria announced 300 new scholarships for Syrian students to study in India on Thursday. 

Taking to Twitter, Murleedharan said, “Pleased to call on President of Syrian Arab Republic, Dr Bashar al-Assad & exchanged views on strengthening our bilateral cooperation. Conveyed greetings of PM @narendramodiji. Happy to have announced 300 new scholarships for Syrian students to study in India.”

Earlier, he also met the Minister of Higher Education in Damascus and interacted with Syrian students selected for an Indian scholarship.

“Glad to have joined Bassam Ibrahim, Minister of Higher Education in Damascus, Syria & interacted with Syrian students selected for Indian Scholarship. Appreciate students’ enthusiasm& keenness to study in India The connection that we are creating will be long-lasting & impactful,” the MoS tweeted.

Muraleedharan, on Thursday discussed India-Syria bilateral cooperation including development partnership, trade and capacity building with Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous.

“Glad to have had a fruitful meeting with the Prime Minister of Syria, Hussein Arnous in Damascus, Syria. Discussed the wide-ranging bilateral cooperation between India and Syria including development partnership, trade and capacity building,” MoS Muraleedharan tweeted on Thursday.

He also discussed India-Syria bilateral cooperation including development partnership, trade and capacity building with Syrian Prime Minister Hussein Arnous.

Muraleedharan paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi in Damascus on Thursday morning. 

This will be the first ministerial-level visit from India to Syria since August 2016, and the first visit of V. Muraleedharan to the country, the Ministry of External Affairs said earlier in an official release.

During the visit, the MoS will also interact with a group of Syrian students, who have studied or are proceeding to study in India under the Union government’s scholarship scheme. He is also expected to meet the functionaries of the Syrian Orthodox Church.

Syria and India have historically shared cordial relations built on deep-rooted people-to-people ties. The Indian Embassy in Syria has remained open throughout the Syrian conflict. Many people visit India as tourists, businesspeople, and patients.

This visit is expected to lend further momentum to the strong relationship between the two countries.

India has contributed immensely to the capacity building of the Syrian youth over the years through scholarship schemes and training courses under the flagship ITEC programme, the official release read. (ANI)