Date:26/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/26/stories/2008092653320300.htm

New Delhi

Malabar naval exercise with US not to involve other countries, says Antony

Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister A. K. Antony has said this year’s Malabar series of naval exercise with the U.S. would not involve warships of any other country.

Last year’s Malabar exercise in the Bay of Bengal was an aberration in which besides the U.S., warships from Australia, Singapore, and Japan participated, leading to a political controversy and earning all the countries a demarche from China.

Mr. Antony pointed out the Malabar series of naval exercises was not new but had been continuing for the past 16 years.

Last year’s exercise marked a break from the previous editions only in that the number of participating countries was more. But now a “policy decision” had been taken to keep the exercises bilateral.

“Last year, some people said it sent a message. The Malabar series of Indo-US naval exercise invited a lot of criticism. Why should some people try to spread misinformation? Only last year, something different happened. Instead of an Indo-US bilateral exercise, a multilateral exercise took place.”

“This year, there is no multilateral exercise. It would be a bilateral one, similar to what has been happening for the last 16 years,” the Defence Minister said after attending the annual Coast Guard Commanders conference here. On his recent visit to the U.S., the Defence Minister said he interacted with his US counterpart Robert Gates on defence relations between the two countries and the security scenario, mainly in the neighbourhood.

“There is nothing secret. It was a return visit.” Asked about the upcoming visit of Russian Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov, he pointed out that New Delhi’s defence relationship with Moscow was unique.