Border clashes not in best security interests of India and Pak

Commander of PACOM said that he believed India and Pakistan have a long history that can move forward in a positive way

The clashes in the border between India and Pakistan along the Line of control is not in the best national security interests of the two South Asian neighbours, commander of the US Pacific Command (PACOM) said.

"I'm always concerned about any border tensions of any kind or tensions between any nations within my [area of responsibility] AOR, even those that border my AOR," the PACOM Commander, Admiral Samuel J Locklear told foreign journalists at a news conference here yesterday.

"Particularly the relationship between India and Pakistan is one that I think has a long history, that has the opportunity to continue to move forward in a positive way.

And that border clashes, I think either country would say that it's not in the best security interests for those to continue, particularly if they want to move into the 21st century," Locklear said.

"Now the question on where terrorists will transit following any major exercise I think is a question beyond my ability as PACOM commander to tell you where that would happen," he said.

"I will tell you though that across the region, with all of our allies, with a preponderance of our partners and our emerging partners, we have a pretty robust dialogue about how we understand the flow of terrorism, how we will work together to manage the flow of that terrorism, and we're thinking about it more and more each day," Locklear said.