Last month, India agreed to help Myanmar build offshore patrol vessels in an effort to improve ties. In an email interview, Abhijit Singh, a research fellow at New Delhi’s National Maritime Foundation tracking political and strategic developments in West and South Asia, explained India’s strategic relationships in Southeast Asia.
WPR: Who are India's main security partners in Southeast Asia and how expansive are these ties?
Abhijit Singh: India’s principal security partners in Southeast Asia are Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam. Security cooperation with these countries is mostly limited to defense dialogues, low-level military exchanges, modest military aid and training, and basic maritime exercises. In recent years, New Delhi has also improved its security ties with Malaysia, Myanmar, Cambodia and the Philippines.