Defence minister AK Antony today said, no country should allow its territory to be used for any form of terrorism, directed against any other country. Talking about the countries where terrorists are free to launch their operations against other countries, he said this cannot be tolerated as the world is paying a heavy price for such mindless policies. To a question on South China Sea, Mr Antony called for exercising restraint to resolve the issue through dialogues in accordance with principles of international law. He said India supports the freedom of navigation and access to resources.

Talking about the power rivalries in the Indian Ocean Region, Mr Antony said though these are being conducted in local theatres, the impact is felt in the wider regional arena and globally. He said, India has a stake in the maintenance of peace and stability in its immediate and extended neighbourhood. The Defence minister is on a three-day visit to Indonesia. Both the countries have decided to significantly enhance their defence cooperation. In a meeting between between Defence minister AK Antony and his Indonesian counterpart Purnomo Yusgiantoro in Jakarta, the two sides exchanged views on a whole range of issues relating to regional and global security.
An official release said, this was the first Ministerial level biennial defence dialogue between the two countries. Encouraged by the success of the first Joint Exercise on Counter Terrorism and Jungle Warfare in India earlier this year, Mr Antony proposed that the two countries should continue the joint exercises between the two armies on a mutually agreed frequency. He said both the sides can examine the possibility of enhancing the engagement through conduct of joint naval exercises.