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Vajpayee rules out resumption of Indo-Pak dialogue

"Anti-India terrorism is being sponsored and backed from across the border, and until this situation changes, there cannot be any substantial dialogue from India's side with Pakistan," Vajpayee said in an interview to the Russian news agency ITAR-TASS ahead of President Vladimir Putin's visit to India from Tuesday.

Vajpayee regretted that when India had extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan, it was not reciprocated.

"Pakistan is our neighbour, we want to live with it in friendship, but it cannot be one-sided. You can clap only with two hands," he said.

"We need to together fight against terrorism. If Pakistan leaves the path of supporting terrorists, then both the countries could cooperate, helping each other in the economic field," Vajpayee said. 

The prime minister said India aims to strengthen the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation by developing cooperation with its member countries, but this cooperation has to be on a "principled basis".