Defence Minister A K Antony on Monday said it would be difficult to improve ties with Pakistan unless it made "serious" and "sincere" efforts to dismantle terror camps operating from its soil.

"The terrorist camps operating from Pakistan was the main impediment to improve India-Pakistan relations," he said. Noting that Pakistan was still pushing trained terrorists into Jammu and Kashmir, he described it as a matter of "serious concern" and that necessary steps were being taken to prevent it.

As a policy, he said, India was not for any confrontation with its neighbours. "We want to avoid strained relationships with our neighbours and to improve ties."

To a query on avoiding middlemen in defence deals, Antony said the government had been successful in its attempt so far "to a great extent".

"Whenever there was a complaint, the government had acted swiftly and ordered a probe," he said.

On the recent hijack of two ships with Indians aboard by Somalian pirates, Antony said it was a matter of serious concern.

"Even after the world community and marine forces of nations, including US, Russia, China and UK..... these things are happening. Indian Navy is also actively involved in the anti-piracy operations on the Somalia coast," he said.

He added that since the pirates keep changing their strategies, new strategies will have to be devised to tackle them.