NAVY 2LAST

Antony applauded the efforts of Indian Navy in checking Antony applauded the efforts of Indian Navy in checking piracy and called for a collective approach from the international community as well on the issue. "The incidents of piracy in Indian Ocean continue to remain a serious concern. Though the presence and proactive efforts of our Navy to tackle piracy in the Gulf of Aden have prevented many incidents, the international community as a whole needs to do a lot more collectively," he said. The Defence Minister said the fight against piracy includes many dimensions such as operational aspects, legal issues and following the best practices for merchant ships. Acknowledging the benefits of exercises conducted in South China Sea, East China Sea and Western Pacific, Antony stressed upon the need to maintain a balance among the various responsibilities of Indian Navy. "Although reaching out to our extended neighbourhood is important, you must always be mindful of the core area of your responsibility that mainly includes preserving and strengthening our shore lines and coastal security," he said. On shortfall of officers in Navy he said the shortage has to be bridged in a time-bound manner. "This challenge does not afford instant solutions. The shortage has to be bridged in a time-bound manner, by enhancing training capacity and taking diverse measures to make the services more attractive for the youth," he said. PTI AD