New Delhi: Lot of scope exists for India to enhance defence and military cooperation with several countries, especially those within the country's strategic periphery, Defence Minister A K Antony said.

"An analysis of the levels of existing cooperation indicates that there is scope for us to further enhance international defence and military cooperation with many countries, particularly those located within India's strategic periphery," he said at a seminar on defence cooperation here.

Such cooperation with each country could not be at the same level as it would depend on the national interests and foreign policy goals and priorities, he said.

Maintaining that India's wide-ranging defence and military cooperation with several countries has been "used as an effective tool of foreign policy," he said New Delhi's approach to international defence cooperation has been reasonably effective and was in sync with foreign policy.

"However, much more can be done to create conditions of peace, stability and security in the region for economic and social development of the country and its people." Defence cooperation has been one of the main forms of engagement with countries like Russia, Singapore, UK, USA, Indonesia, Israel, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar, South Africa, Oman, Tajikistan and most SAARC nations.

Observing that globalisation has affected defence as much as any other activity, the Defence Minister said cooperation could be "most successful when forces have inter-operable systems and weapons which facilitate functional cooperation when undertaking peacekeeping or disaster management operations together."

Source : PTI