Jack Straw has called for a greater understanding between the West and the Islamic world.

Speaking just days after hundreds were killed in a series of terror attacks in Iraq and Pakistan, the foreign secretary said on Friday that more needed to be done to work to defuse the conflicts which terrorists exploit.

In the latest stage of his visit to Pakistan, Straw warned that countries could no longer afford to champion isolationist policies.

"Whatever efforts we make at home, no country today can prosper in isolation from the outside world," he said.

"Our economies are interdependent and rely on growing trade between us. We face global threats such as terrorism and international crime, which respect no borders. We cannot deliver sustainable development and a cleaner environment for our own people without working together."

The focus of the visit has been Pakistan's troubled relations with India and Straw was keen to talk down the row over the country's nuclear proliferation work.

"We greatly welcome steps by President Musharraf... we commend the actions by the government of Pakistan on the issue," he told reporters.

"What is important is that we have learnt a lesson from what happened and that it should not happen in future."

Pakistan has again been accused of offering to help other countries develop nuclear weapons, sparking another international row.

The country's top nuclear scientist, Abdul Qadeer Khan, had already admitted selling nuclear technology to Libya, Iran and North Korea.

Publicly, Straw chose instead to accentuate the positive aspect of current relations, particularly Pakistan's role in the war on terrorism.

"I warmly welcome the vital part which Pakistan is playing, along with its international partners including the UK, in the global fight against terrorism," he said.

"In co-operation with the US, UK and others, the authorities here have arrested over 500 terrorist suspects since 11 September 2001."

Kashmir

Straw offered Britain's help in resolving the disputes between India and Pakistan, particularly over the disputed territory of Kashmir, which has gone to the brink of all-out war.

"The recent progress on Pakistan's relationship with India is very welcome. It should have a positive impact on all the people of the region, above all for the Kashmiris," he said.

"We all have a stake in greater security and prosperity in South Asia, and we in Britain stand ready to help the process of dialogue. Long-running conflicts should not remain unattended."

Tolerance

The foreign secretary also said the West needed a better understanding of the role of religion in Islamic societies.

"We sometimes forget that secularism when taken to extremes can be just as oppressive as a society permeated by religion," he said.

"And in the Islamic world, I suggest that there needs to be more understanding that while many Western societies are secular, they are by no means godless.

"Indeed we are proud that our traditions of tolerance and pluralism allow religion to thrive - as it does for the over 2 million Muslims in the UK."