No comparisons between India and Iran: Burns

Washington, Mar 07: The United States has ridiculed any comparison between the nuclear programmes of India and Iran and reiterated that Washington would not act as a mediator between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue.

''India is a democratic country while Iran is an autocratic one.

Former is a responsible nuclear power which wants to join the international non-proliferation regime and place its reactors under international safeguards, while the latter is just the opposite,'' US Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns said yesterday at the Heritage Foundation.

''Iran is an irresponsible nation, which had been developing nuclear programme for 18 years and wants to extricate itself from international scrutiny. The two countries are diametrically opposite,'' he added.

Replying to question on how the United States could explain its deal with India while blocking Iran's nuclear ambitions, Mr Burns said, ''We don't see the connection between what Iran is doing and what India seeks to do.'' While Tehran is trying to extricate itself from the obligations to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), India is moving towards it, he noted.

He also strresed that if Iran does not suspend all its nuclear activities that are of international concern, the 35-nation IAEA board will confirm its earlier judgment and the matter will be reffered to the UN Security Council.

On the Kashmir issue, Mr Burns said the United States is certainly not going to act as a mediator between India and Pakistan, but hopes for progress on the issue.

''It is our firm hope that the composite dialogue between the two countries is going to be successful and they will sort out some of the bilateral differences between them,'' he said.

''Differences over the Kashmir issue which has been the center of troubles in South Asia for decades, will be sorted out, he added referring to President Bush's repeated statement on the matter made during his recent visit to the region.

The US and India were striving to keep pace with the growing private sector ties and to create a framework where these links could continue to grow.

He said that both the nations have also signed 18 joint-venture agreements in the sectors such as energy, science and technology, agriculture and education.

UNI

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