New Delhi, May 27: Even as Prime Minister Vajpayee today reiterated an end to cross-border terrorism for meaningful Indo-Pak dialogue to start, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha has declared that an end to cross-border terrorism was not a pre-condition for talks resumption. External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha told the British daily `Financial Times' in an interview: "If this (cross-border terrorism) was a pre-condition, then the Prime Minister would not have extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan last month". "When you are talking of a roadmap, we are clear in our minds what steps must be taken both in regard to restoring normalcy and in regard to the dialogue process." "India has relaxed its pre-conditions for holding a summit between Prime Minister Vajpayee and Prime Minister Jamali. But for the dialogue to succeed, it is essential that cross-border terrorism comes to an end," he added. Asked about the slow pace of normalising Indo-Pak ties, Sinha said, "This process should not be seen in terms of deadlines. Pakistan has not set a timeframe and India has not set a time frame....We both need to give each other a chance." But today in the morning before embarking on a three-nation tour, Prime Minister Vajpayee struck to the much-publicised Indian stand that India wanted to start talks with Pakistan "as soon as possible" but first cross-border terrorism should end and terror infrastructure in Pakistan dismantled. Before embarking on a three-nation tour, Vajpayee also said that India would take "more" confidence-building measures to carry forward its peace initiatives with Pakistan. "Some steps have already been taken and more will be taken," he told reporters at IGI airport here, a day after India announced its decisions to resume the Delhi-Lahore bus service and release 130 Pakistani prisoners in Indian jails. The Prime Minister, who left for Germany on the first leg of his eight-day tour that would also take him to Russia and France, said he was confident that an atmosphere would be created for Indo-Pak talks to begin. Significantly, on May 21, Defence Minister George Fernandes had said that the Prime Minister's new peace initiative should not be linked to measuring daily infiltration levels on the line of control. "Infiltration levels cannot be a barometer for the peace process. There is a movement forward", the defence minister had said. "The Prime Minister's peace initiative should not be linked with gauging infiltration levels from across the border. It is a broader and wider approach and the peace process would be step by step." Bureau Report