India wants US to recalibrateits strategy

NEW DELHI - India has called on the United States to "recalibrate" its new strategy in the Asia-Pacific region during talks between Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony and visiting US Defense Secretary Leon Panetta on Wednesday in the Indian capital, said local media Thursday.

"Antony emphasized the need to strengthen the multilateral security architecture in the Asia-Pacific and to move at a pace comfortable to all countries concerned," the Indian Defense Ministry was quoted as saying in a statement after the talks between Antony and Panetta.

During the talks, Panetta outlined the new US Asia-Pacific strategy, saying, "America is at a turning point. After a decade of war, we are developing the new defense strategy in particular, we will expand our military partnerships and our presence in the arc extending from the Western Pacific and East Asia into the Indian Ocean region and South Asia. Defense cooperation with India is a linchpin in this strategy."

However, Indian defense ministry took a more cautious approach, with a short statement conveying that India favors a stronger security set up but at a comfortable pace, said local daily Indian Express.

The reason for New Delhi to be worried about the new US defense focus on Asia-Pacific is it "could lead to increased militarization of its neighborhood", said local daily The Tribune.