India calls for naval alliance with Sri Lanka and other countries

NEW DELHI, (AFP) - India called for an alliance of navies to boost security at sea at its first naval summit Thursday with nations that have a stake in the busy maritime lanes of the Indian Ocean.









The summit will wind up on Friday with a closed-door conclave of the naval chiefs in the Indian seaside resort of Goa.

Twenty-six representatives of navies from countries including Australia, Egypt, France and Sri Lanka are attending the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), seen by experts as an effort by New Delhi to assert its strategic presence.

Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, launching the two-day event, said regional cooperation would help combat piracy and terrorism.

"Recent years have seen a rise in crimes such as terrorism, smuggling, including of narcotics, arms and weapons, and piracy and robbery," Singh said.

"The perpetrators of these crimes are well-organised and well-funded transnational crime syndicates who take full advantage of the vastness of the oceans. The need for cooperation among the navies of the region in preventing such crimes is therefore of paramount interest," he said.

"India remains committed to an Indian Ocean that is stable and peaceful," the prime