Ties with China of great importance to India: Antony

New Delhi, Nov 12 (ANI): Defence Minister A K Antony has said India attaches great importance to its relations with China.

Addressing the 45th Foundation Day of Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) on Thursday after congratulating Dr. Srikant Kondapalli for winning this year's K. Subrahmanyam Award, Antony said: "I also take this opportunity to heartily congratulate Dr. Srikant Kondapalli for winning this year's K. Subrahmanyam Award. This is the fourth award in the series and its conferment recognizes Dr. Kondapalli's outstanding work on China, especially, its Armed Forces. We attach great importance to our relations with China."

"I hope that this award will provide impetus to other researchers to go in for more intensive research work on China. I also wish to compliment the winners of this year's President Awards for their noteworthy contributions in journals of repute. I wish to strongly urge the younger scholars of IDSA to draw inspiration from such researchers and excel in their fields of study," he added.

Antony said the security scenario is constantly evolving due to the changing nature of conflicts, adding that one must focus his energy on the strategy and force structures needed to face these unconventional threats and asymmetric conflicts.

"Today, the security scenario is constantly evolving due to the changing nature of conflicts. You must focus your energy on the strategy and force structures needed to face these unconventional threats and asymmetric conflicts," said Antony.

"There are other issues that merit attention like defence reforms focusing on jointness, acquisition, offsets, development of India's defence industrial base, terrorism, climate change and energy security. The challenge lies in producing original, high quality research studies with in a form that is useful for the policy makers," he added.

The Defence Minister further said one of the problem plaguing the institutes, think-tanks and universities is that they often work within the narrow confines of their respective disciplines.

"Real life problems, as complex as security and its various dimensions require a multi-disciplinary approach. It calls for a thorough understanding of a wide array of disciplines like Political Science, Economics, Sociology, Geography, History, Psychology and Natural Sciences. The security challenges of today are far more complex than at any time in the past," said Antony.

"These challenges are both - global and local and nearly always, interlinked. Mankind needs to grasp facts clearly and understand issues in the proper perspective to facilitate better and quicker policy making. In this context, Indian think-tanks will have to discharge an important responsibility by way of rigorous policy research to support more-informed policy making," he added.

The Defence Minister strongly emphasized on the urgent need for high quality, analytical research work capable of anticipating threats, arriving at better-informed policy decisions and for defending India's vital security interests.

"Five years from now, IDSA will be celebrating the 50th Foundation Day. You must set your sights on becoming not only the best in Asia, but also in the world by 2015. I assure you my full support to your endeavours and hope that you will take IDSA to even greater heights," he added. (ANI)