New Delhi, May 27 (IANS) Home Minister P. Chidambaram Friday proposed meetings of top Indian and US security officials every six months to step up counter-terrorism ties between the two countries.

 
 "I would propose that our home secretary and your deputy secretary for homeland security meet after six months to review the progress" on security ties between India and the US, Chidambaram said in his opening remarks at a meeting with his American counterpart Janet Napolitano.
 
 Chidambaram said the India-US ties "must cover" all aspects of the challenges of violent extremism that includes anticipating and predicting threats, taking preventive or pre-emptive measures and responding effectively and quickly to such incidents.
 
 "Therefore, we must further deepen our ties in intelligence, information and assessment sharing, cooperation in investigations and forensics, protecting cities, infrastructure, people and trade and developing capabilities to diffuse and terminate any incident," he said. 
 
 He stressed on the "importance" of developing and sharing technologies, equipment and systems for homeland security and said such acquisitions would largely come from from the private sector.
 
 "But as governments, we must continue a strategic dialogue to share information, experiences and assessment on technologies and systems, identify technology needs, trends and gaps, and address licensing and other terms relating to transfer of counter-terrorism and homeland security equipment and technology to each other
 
 He said the two sides would also work out a mechanism for a government-private sector interface.
 
 The home minister said that "strong and effective India-US cooperation in homeland security and counter-terrorism was "indispensable for our strategic partnership".