By IANS
New Delhi : The Indian Army chief, Gen. Deepak Kapoor, is visiting Malaysia and the Philippines to ramp up military-military ties with the two countries as part of New Delhi’s Look East policy of engaging countries beyond its immediate neighbourhood.
Kapoor, who arrived in Kuala Lumpur Monday morning, will spend three days in the Malaysian capital before flying to Manila, from where he will return home Saturday.
“During the visit, Kapoor will be meeting his counterparts and other army and civilian officers to explore how we can take our military-military ties to greater heights,” a defence ministry official said Monday.
Kapoor’s visit to Malaysia, his first abroad after assuming office last September, follows that of Defence Minister A.K. Antony last month during which consolidation and strengthening of military-to-military contacts to boost bilateral defence cooperation came up for discussion.
Agreement was also reached on posting Indian Air Force (IAF) pilots and technicians in Malaysia for two years to train their counterparts in operating the frontline Sukhoi Su-30 combat jet.
The Indian offer of assistance in securing the strategically important Malacca Straits was also believed to have figured in the discussions.
While the US is known to be keen that India plays a role in patrolling the Malacca Straits, New Delhi favours a tri-nation security initiative to enforce “compulsory pilotage” of the waterway.
Proposed by Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore, the initiative seeks to safeguard shipping through the narrow channel from piracy and maritime terrorism.
India’s military ties with the Philippines are still in a nascent stage, even though the two countries have pledged to jointly fight terrorism and enhance cooperation in trade and energy as part of efforts to boost all-round bilateral relations.