Muscat, May 18 (Inditop.com) Taking their defence ties a step ahead, India and Oman Tuesday agreed to accelerate their cooperation in maritime security and discussed piracy in the Gulf of Aden and terrorism, an official said.
Visiting Indian Defence Minister A.K. Antony, who is on a two-day visit to the Gulf nation called on Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said bin Thaimour Al Said, who is also the supreme commander of the armed forces of the country.
Antony is leading a high-level Indian delegation that includes Defence Secretary Pradeep Kumar also met his Omani counterpart Sayyid Badr bin Saud bin Harib Al Busaidi.
Speaking during the meeting, Antony said maritime security was one of the issues causing concern to countries around the world.
The issue has emerged as a major aspect of India’s security concerns in the aftermath of the November 2008 Mumbai terror attack, he said.
“Maritime security has also become a global concern due to the pirate attacks in the Gulf of Aden. Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been growing over the years and has now assumed alarming proportions,” Antony said.
Giving details of the measures taken by New Delhi, Antony said 16 Indian Navy vessels have been deployed in the Gulf of Aden at various time to protect Indian-flagged ships and Indian citizens employed on seafaring duties.
In addition to escorting Indian ships, vessels of other nations have also been escorted, he said.
“We are cooperating with other navies deployed in this area by way of information sharing,” Antony said.
The two sides also discussed a number of bilateral and regional issues.
Antony expressed satisfaction at the existing defence cooperation between the two countries.
The bilateral security ties have advanced over the years in the wake of Oman becoming central to any international strategy to stabilise the Arabian Sea as well as the Persian Gulf – two of the world’s most volatile sea links – amid growing threats of piracy.
In this connection, Antony recalled the first joint air exercise in October 2009 when Royal Air Force of Oman pilots were trained on Jaguar simulators in India. Similar training is planned this year, he added.
“We have laid the foundation and should now work towards adding more content to our defence cooperation,” Antony said.
Antony, who is also accompanied by senior officers of the Indian Army, the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy, invited his Omani counterpart to attend AeroIndia international air show in Bangalore in February next year.
