New Delhi, July 30 - Ruling out war as an option, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Thursday reinforced Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's position that there was no alternative but to keep talking to Pakistan but made it clear that there was no surrender by the government on the issue of combating cross-border terrorism.

'Neither have we succumbed to terrorism nor will we stop talking,' Mukherjee told the Lok Sabha during a debate on issues arising from the prime minister's foreign visits, including his trip to Egypt where he met Pakistan Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani. Action on terror was independent of any composite dialogue, he asserted.

'The NDA did it. The UPA did it. This is the way the world of diplomacy moves,' Mukherjee said while reminding parliament that over the last 10 years, governments across the political spectrum in India kept talking to Pakistan despite brief disruptions after terrorist attacks.

'We can't erase Pakistan. It's going to exist. War is no solution,' Mukherjee said while underlining the importance of keeping talks going with Pakistan.

Mukherjee, who was foreign minister when the Mumbai attacks took place, clarified that talking did not mean the resumption of a full-fledged dialogue.