India to conduct joint air exercise with China: Antony

Alappuzha (Kerala), Sep 9: India will conduct joint air exercise with China in November this year and the Air Force chief will visit Beijing prior to that, Defence Minister A K Antony said today.

Addressing a leadership camp organised by the Alappuzha District Congress Committee here, he said the country was also preparing to hold joint naval exercises with Russia next week.

Rejecting the Left parties' criticism of the recent naval exercises with the US, Japan and Australia, Mr Antony said such exercises need not be criticised as they were held with the sole intent of preparing the defence forces for any contingency.

Stating that such exercises were not a new thing, the Minister said India had been participating in such exercises since 1992 and had conducted them with the UK and France.

Regarding the civilian nuclear cooperation deal with the US, Mr Antony said this was the only way for India to end the isolation imposed on it following the Pokhran-II nuclear tests during the previous NDA regime. Following these tests, 45 countries had imposed sanctions on India and the country was denied crucial technologies in several spheres. The proposed civilian nuclear deal with the US would help India to gain access to these technologies, he added.

Stating that the US had taken the initiative to enter into such an agreement with India, he said that country was interested in the growth of India's energy and power sector.

UNI