India has augmented its military co-operation with the Maldives in a bid to protect the islands from terrorism and to counter China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean Region (I0R).rn"The defence and security of both our countries are intertwined," Indian Defence Minister A K Antony said during his two-day visit to the Maldives capital Male, which ended on 22 August.rnBoth countries, he declared, faced security challenges, especially from the sea, adding that India would help its neighbour militarily in any way it could.
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