Berlin: Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has deprecated the "double standards" adopted by countries to deal with terrorism in different places and urged India's "friends and partners" to bring their influence on Pakistan to end cross border terrorism and dismantle the infrastructure of support to it.

He said countries should not negotiate with terrorism or differentiate between its various constituent elements.

Without referring to any country by name, he told German Parliamentarians at a meeting on May 28 that India has suffered both from terrorism and from the consequences of the double standards applied by countries to deal with terrorism in different places.

"But, even while we continue to deal with our specific problem of cross border terrorism, I have extended a hand of friendship to Pakistan in the hope that it may initiate a process leading to peace, friendship and cooperation between our two countries.

"I hope my political initiative will inspire action to end cross border terrorism and to dismantle the infrastructure of support to it. We encourage our friends and partners also to bring to bear their influence to make this happen," he told the German MPs.

Vajpayee said history has shown time and again that democratic societies were those that seek peace, protect freedoms, permit dissent and value consensus.

Apparently referring to the recent Iraq war, the Prime Minister said recent global developments have yet again emphasised the importance of evolving a cooperative multi-polar world order, which would promote the ethic of pluralism and consensus, protecting the legitimate interests and aspirations of its constituent elements.

PTI