Active in the Afghan-Pakistani border, terrorists are able to destabilize the situation in South Asia and to provoke the Indo-Pakistan war, told the Defense Secretary Robert Gates at news conference.

Pentagon chief arrives in India on Tuesday after visiting Pakistan and Afghanistan. In Delhi, he discussed bilateral military and strategic cooperation with the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and the Foreign Minister Somanahalli Malaya Krishna.

“There are syndicates of terrorists working to destabilize the region. We must reduce the threat and eliminate it as soon as possible. (That) requires close cooperation,” – said Gates, who is in India with a two-day visit.

According to him, terrorists, acting together with “al-Qaeda”, may “stage a provocation to cause a war between India and Pakistan”.

Gates expressed complete satisfaction with the activities of India in Afghanistan, which consists primarily of the construction of infrastructure facilities such as roads, power lines, power plants. “I think that the support provided by India iss perfect”, – Gates said at a briefing in New Delhi.

He acknowledged that India and Pakistan are looking in disbelief at the activities of each other in Afghanistan. “These countries should work with complete transparency, as this will help to remove suspicion and provide more opportunities for development” – advised American minister.