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Kashmir a major flashpoint: Australia

Sydney Feb. 12. Australia today described Kashmir as a "major flashpoint" in the Asia Pacific region, even as an official white paper said the international community had only limited influence over "intractable tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan".

Releasing the white paper outlining the country's foreign policy along with the Minister for Trade, Mark Vaile, the Australian Foreign Minister, Alexander Downer, placed Kashmir along with the Taiwan Straits and the Korean Peninsula as three "major flashpoints".

The paper said South Asia posed a particularly difficult challenge for regional security. "The international community has only limited influence over the seemingly intractable tensions between nuclear-armed India and Pakistan. A stable relationship between the two is also important for the continued successful prosecution of the war against terrorism."

On India's growing importance, it said India's weight in international affairs was increasing. "Its military capabilities and economy are growing steadily from a significant base." India's growing strategic influence and its nuclear capabilities make it important for us to engage India on strategic matters. The Government has expanded the dialogue on military and security issues," the paper noted. Australia and India were "committed to developing a more dynamic and forward looking approach to bilateral relationship".

— PTI

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