NEW DELHI: Describing the Taliban and Al Qaeda as a real challenge, India said on Wednesday that failure to act effectively against them would run the risk of catapulting the region into spiral of violence.

‘Terrorism remains essential challenge to the regional security...There is a real challenge posed by the resurgence of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. There is a need for the international community to re-commit its assistance to Afghanistan,’ Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said at a conference on South Asia-2020.

She said there was a growing consensus that the increase in terrorist activities in Afghanistan was linked to the support available in the contiguous areas.

‘Our position is very clear...We want stable and peaceful Pakistan and we will work consistently towards that,’ she said.

Ms Rao said India-China relations were complex, adding that dialogue with Beijing would acquire more substance and more relevance in the years to come.—APP