Washington: The United States on October 2, condemned cross-border terrorism but said there still existed opportunities for dialogue between India and Pakistan.

"Even as we fight terrorism and deal with what can be said to be cross border activity, there is still room, I believe, for the parties (India and Pakistan) to engage in dialogue" and ways to talk politically, Secretary of State Colin Powell told a Press Conference in Washington.

There are still opportunities for dialogue when you think how far we have come in the last year from a situation that could have led to a nuclear war", Powell said when asked whether he agreed with Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's position that no dialogue is possible as long as cross border terrorism continued.

"We have condemned cross border terrorism and it is a matter of discussion with Indian and Pakistani colleagues at every opoportunity, and the US President George Bush discussed it with both Prime Minister Vajpayee and with Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf," during their visit to New York last month to attend the annual UN General Assembly Session, he said.

Washington had conveyed to Vajpayee and Musharraf that even as the US continued to fight terrorism, it would encourage India and Pakistan to "engage in dialogue", he said.

PTI