India for peaceful solution in Syria

"The Council needs to make clear that it is the responsibility of sovereign states to respond to the aspirations of its people through administrative, political, economic and other measures," India's Permanent Representative Hardeep Singh Puri said Wednesday.

"At the same time, it is for states to decide on the best course of action to maintain internal law and order and to prevent violence," he said during an open briefing on the situation in Syria in the UN Security Council.

The primary responsibility of the Council in this particular instance is to urge all sides to abjure violence in any form and to seek a resolution of grievances through peaceful means, Puri said.

Expressing India's support for all measures designed to end violence and restore peace, he said: "It is essential that all efforts should be made to de-escalate tensions, rather than to exacerbate them."

"We believe regional and sub regional organizations have an important role to play in resolving the crisis in the region, including in Syria," he added.

Noting that Syria has, historically and in contemporary times, been an important country in the Middle East, Puri said prolonged instability or unrest in Syria may have ramifications for the region and beyond.