Speaker: Amb. Talmiz Ahmad, former Indian Ambassador and expert on West Asia and Ram Sathe Chair, International Studies, Symbiosis International University, Pune

Chair: Amb. Gautam Mukhopadhyaya, Senior Visiting Fellow, Centre for Policy Research and former Ambassador of India to Syria, Afghanistan and Myanmar

The talk will look at the background to the upheaval in Syria, the emergence of the Hayat Tahreer al-Sham as a military and political force in the country, and the factors that facilitated its capture of Damascus. Amb. Ahmad will then discuss the role of different external players in the Syrian regime-change and the uncertainties – political, ideological and economic – that are likely to shape the national scenario in the coming months. Amb. Ahmad will also delve into the longer term implications of developments in Syria for regional and global politics and conclude with some reflections on the larger issues relating to emerging civilizational competitions and world order that will be resonant in the coming years

(Collaboration: Centre for Policy Research)