"What we need is a three-pronged strategy to meet effectively various challenges relating to security confronting the Asian continent," India's Defense Minister A.K. Antony said.

India's new strategy for Asian nations spells out three stages. First, to maintain an active dialogue process, not only among governments, but also defense establishments; second, develop regional mechanisms to share intelligence about terror groups, criminal elements, drug cartels and other transnational networks; and third, devise common solutions to common challenges that threaten the region's security.

"The world today realizes that no nation can consider itself to be immune from terrorism," he said. "The lessons learned elsewhere can prove to be useful in devising our policies. Similarly, other nations too can benefit from our experience."

The comments came at the three-day 10th Asian Security Conference earlier this month in which security experts deliberated upon issues with a direct bearing on security in Asia. Terrorism in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Maldives and Sri Lanka was the main focus of the conference, which was organized by the Institute of Defense Studies and Analysis, a semi-governmental think tank.

"Since 1999, when the conference was first held, it has become an important forum for debating issues relating to Asian Security," IDSA said. "It has provided a forum for ministers, diplomats, scholars and security analysts to share their views on the security challenges."

There are a total of 343 armed rebel groups active in the world -- 187 of them in Asia. India says it is affected most by terrorism.

Speakers at the conference expressed grave concern over the emergence of non-state players. The conference, however, failed to evolve any agreed-upon mechanism through which the emergence of non-state players could be checked.

"These non-state players do not recognize any territorial boundaries," Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the conference. "They utilize latest global communication and transport networks and rely on garnering international support.

"Their common objective is to disturb existing state apparatus, destabilize neighboring states and create new states based on ethno-cultural identity," Mukherjee told the conference.

"Most of these non-state players are not fighting for a national identity or territory and have abstract notions of carving out a separate and unique identity of their own based on ethnicity, religious and tribal basis."

A.B. Mahapatra, of the New Delhi-based Center for Asian Strategic Studies, said it was the responsibility of the state to prevent the misuse of its territory for terrorist attacks.

"Terrorists have successfully used weakly governed territories to organize attacks, recruit and train their cadres," he said. "Continuing to allow terror groups to enjoy the luxury of space would have terrible consequences for the world at large."

The conference took stock of recent developments in Afghanistan, which was followed by a discussion on the future of peace and stability in conflict zones. The emerging trends in transnational networks and sectarian violence formed an important part of subjects discussed. Almost all major speakers at the conference expressed grave concern over developments in Pakistan and said they hoped militancy could be thwarted and normalcy returned.

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