Highlighting India's contribution for the region, the NSA

said, "We have contributed to anti-piracy efforts off the Horn of Africa and developed maritime cooperation with the countries of the Gulf to protect sea-lanes that are vital to our trade and energy flows." "We have worked to promote defence cooperation with the countries of the region, bilaterally and through cooperation among the Indian Ocean rim countries," he said. India has built "effective partnerships within the region to combat terrorism and extremism, working with our partners against terrorist groups which are increasingly interlinked across South and West Asia," he said. "We had all got comfortable dealing with West Asia in ways set by habit. That is no longer possible," Menon added.