MoS Defence calls for regional cooperation to counter terrorism

Terming terrorism a "global phenomenon", Minister of State (MoS) for Defence Subhash Bhamre on Sunday called for regional cooperation to counter the menace of terrorism.

"Terrorism is a global phenomenon. It is not limited to one country anymore. We are seeing many incidents of terrorism which have no justification for political or religious grounds. It is faced by every country now. The Bay of Bengal countries is our immediate neighbourhood. We want to have this group for regional cooperation and our main concern is countering terrorism," Bhamre said while addressing a press conference along with Army Chief General Bipin Rawat.

Bhamre's comments come at a time when India successfully hosted the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) Milex 2018 in Pune. The first joint training exercise was aimed to have practice among BIMSTEC nations in planning and conducting counter terrorist operations.

Underscoring the significance of the inaugural multinational exercise, Bhamre said that the goal is to find a common platform by partnering with several countries. "The very aim of exercises like this is to find a common platform. We come together, share our experiences and that is why the group is here," he added.

The BIMSTEC is a regional grouping comprising Bangladesh, India, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Bhutan and Nepal, a group that accounts for 22 per cent of the global population.