In a concerted effort to forge closer ties with countries in the Indian Ocean region, Defence Minister AK Antony will hold extensive discussions with his counterparts during his four-day visit starting on Monday to three countries including Singapore, Australia and Thailand. Incidentally, Antony will be the first Defence Minister to visit Australia.
India is playing the lead role in ensuring maritime security in the Indian Ocean region and formed the Indian Ocean Symposium (IONS) comprising 30 countries some years back. While all the countries on the rim of the Indian Ocean are in constant touch with each other, Australia also wants to strengthen naval ties with India and Antony and his Australian counterpart Stephen Smith will discuss the possibility of holding regular joint exercises.
Moreover, Australia has allowed the US to set up a base there for what the US terms rebalancing its naval forces in the Indian Ocean and Pacific region and Antony will hold bilateral talks with Smith on the implications of this on the strategic environment of India, officials said on Sunday.
Visiting Australia as the first Indian Defence Minister, Antony will call on Prime Minister Julia Gillard and both sides will discuss measures to enhance exchanges between the defence establishments and armed forces of the two countries, defence ministry spokesman Sitanshu Kar, who is accompanying the minister, said here on Sunday.
In Singapore, Antony will meet his counterpart Ng Eng Hen who had visited India in November last year. The two Defence Ministers will discuss various bilateral co-operation issues as well as issues concerning the regional global security situations.
Singapore regularly holds joint exercises with Indian Navy, IAF and army besides holding its own exercises here due to constricted airspace in the island country. India and Singapore have established close defence ties over the years and officers of both the countries regularly visit defence establishments in each other’s country.
As regards Thailand, Antony is visiting Bangkok on invitation from Thai Defence Minister Sukumpol Suwanatat who had visited India in December, 2012.
Moreover, the two Defence Ministers will be meeting days after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh held talks with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra last week there.
Both the defence ministers are expected to review on-going exchanges between the armed forces including possible enhancement of on-going Army and Navy exercises and joint patrols along the common maritime boundary between both countries. Thailand is also part of the IONS.