From rxpgnews.com
India's security interests transcend region: Antony
By IANS,
Apr 16, 2007 - 5:22:39 PM
New Delhi, April 16 - With India's strategic interests extending 'far beyond' its neighbourhood, it was incumbent on New Delhi to leverage its ties with countries like the US and Russia to enable it play its rightful role, Defence Minister A.K. Antony contended Monday.
Antony's remarks at the Army Commanders' Conference here were in the context of the present century being declared an Asian Century and India being an 'essential part' of this 'gradual transformation process'.
'India's enhanced stature will demand that it plays a role commensurate to its stature, potential and aspirations. It need not be over-emphasised that our strategic interests extend far beyond the South Asian region,' the minister said.
However, with Asia witnessing myriad problems and conflicts, 'it is in our interest to ensure peace and stability for unrestrained and continued economic growth.
'As a nation, we owe it to not only our people, but also to the region as a whole,' Antony added.
Toward this, the development of a strategic partnership with the US 'is to further our security interests and to enhance our ability to influence regional as well as global concerns', the minister noted.
India also needed to further strengthen its relationship with Russia 'not only for uninterrupted supply of high quality military hardware, but also to help maintain strategic balance in international relations that the emerging situation demands', Antony said.
As for China, the present thaw in relations was a 'positive sign', even as 'a realistic appraisal of its growing economic and military capabilities needs to be carried out', he said.
Focusing on India's immediate neighbourhood and beyond, the minister said that defence cooperation 'is a vital tool of diplomacy for furthering and promoting our national interests', and added: 'In accordance with our national security interests, we are committed to enlarging the framework of our defence cooperation.
'We are supplying hardware and also conducting joint exercises with Maldives and Seychelles. In addition, several other neighbours in the Indian Ocean Region are being engaged diversely - from establishment of Information Technology facilities in Myanmar, to providing assistance and training to the Mauritian and Sri Lankan armies.'
This was even as the situation in Sri Lanka had 'deteriorated' in the recent past, the minister stated, adding: 'On our part, we will have to be alert, so that the changing situation there does not adversely impact our security concerns.
According to him, India was also providing military assistance to Nigeria, Afghanistan, Nepal and Bhutan, while joint exercises were being planned and carried out with armies of the US, Russia, Singapore and Mongolia.
As for Pakistan, relations 'have shown some signs of improvement' but for the ongoing peace dialogue to be successful, Islamabad 'will have to put an end to cross-border terrorism', the minister maintained.
On Nepal, the minister said that while the internal situation in the country had taken a 'positive turn', the 'growth of fundamental forces and illegal immigration into our northeast is a matter of concern for us.
'Of late, - ISI - has been making all-out efforts to support the underground groups and also prop up fundamentalist organisations, using some of our neighbouring countries as a base. We need a co-ordinated effort to engage these nations to address these issues,' Antony said.
Noting that India's relations with most of its neighbours were 'cordial', he said: 'We are making sincere and serious efforts at positive engagement with them.'
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