NEW DELHI, May 29: India on Tuesday cautioned the international community about "serious clashes" between the border guards of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and said it was willing to work with both the countries to secure the region from terrorist groups. Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who addressed a Europe-Asia meeting in Hamburg on Tuesday, also warned the international community against losing interest in the region's welfare because that would only lead to "a re-enactment of the ghastly dance of death of the past."

"The resurgence of the Taliban has set the entire process on precarious ground," Mr Mukherjee said. "The increase in suicide attacks, kidnappings and most of all the growing strength of the Taliban through Afghanistan's south make us now confront a problem which has acquired threatening proportions and which calls for a well-thought out counter-strategy."

India feels that the area of instability now covers both sides of the Durand Line. It radiates and projects its influence in all areas west of the Indus. "Early warning signs of this happening were perhaps ignored. We now face a situation where in a large swathe of southern Afghanistan, international development activity has slowed down to the point of being non-existent."

The minister said Afghanistan's concerns at "the incidence of cross-border infiltration has been accompanied by serious clashes between the border guards of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The arc of instability is spreading."Mr Mukherjee urged the international community to stand united with the Afghan people and reassure them that they intend to stay the course. "As a victim of the evil of terrorism, we knew that the fight against global terrorism was never going to be an easy one. We cannot allow our enthusiasm to wane or improvise solutions by way of compromises – whether with the Taliban or with others," Mr Mukerjee said.

"India on its part will do what it can," he said.