In a message to the neighbouring countries who share maritime boundaries with India, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday stressed that maritime security is a collective effort and inviting “outside forces” to the doorstep would dent efforts for unity.
Speaking after laying the foundation stone for a Very Low Frequency (VLF) Naval Station at Vikarabad near Hyderabad, he said maintaining peace in the Bay of Bengal and Indian Ocean region should be top priority.
Cooperation of India’s friendly nations is essential in this effort, as even if one country is left out, the nation’s security will be at risk, he said.
“Bharat believes in bringing all together and not breaking. That is why we are making every possible step to take the friendly neighbouring nations along,” he said.
The VLF naval station will prove to be very important for maritime forces when it becomes functional, he said.
The upcoming radar station at Damagudem forest area in Vikarabad district is the Navy’s second VLF communication transmission station in the country.