Sunday, September 25 2005 14:16 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Dismissing the charge that its vote for the (IAEA) resolution on Iran's nuclear issue was a result of concerns voiced by some US lawmakers on the Indo-US nuclear pact, India today (Sept 25, 2005) said it determines its policy on international issues based on independent assessments.

"Our positions in international for a are invariably determined by our independent assessments which are consistent with our policy pronouncements and anchored in our larger national interest," India's Ambassador to the United States Ronen Sen said.

Asked whether the Indian vote was prompted by concerns voiced by some members of Congress who linked the New Delhi's attitude on Tehran to the Indo-US nuclear deal, he said 'any such assumption would be totally wrong.'

Sen said the original resolution, against which India had advised, would have sent the matter to the UN Security Council straightaway. "The new one doesn't."

Analysts said that the European Union resolution on Iran was consistent with the Indian advice not to rush to the Security Council but to continue negotiations.

The resolution adopted at a meeting of IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna late last night 'requests the IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei to continue his efforts to implement this and previous resolutions and to report again, including any further developments on the issues raised in his report of 2 September.'

Shortly after the vote, the External Affairs Ministry issued a statement in Delhi saying the world nuclear watchdog had addressed India's major concerns and it did not reflect any change in its stand on Iran.

India's stand that some more time should be given for satisfactory resolution of the issue had been taken care of, an External Affairs Ministry spokesman said in Delhi.

The draft resolution had conceded this by deferring any decision till further consideration of the matter at the Board's next meeting in November this year, he said.

India was opposed to the matter being referred to the UN Security Council and the draft resolution had agreed to keep this within the purview of the IAEA at this stage, he said.

"Everyone acknowledged that the issue remains very much here in Vienna, that there is ample room here, still, for negotiations, that the issue has not been referred to the Security Council," ElBaradei said in Vienna.

"All of us need to explore this window of opportunity, from now until November, to make sure that we are moving towards a comprehensive settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue," he said

The IAEA chief said a number of countries have indicated their readiness to work with Iran and with the European Union to try to find a way for Iran to go back into the negotiating process with the European Union.

"At the end of the day, many of these issues that have to do with regional security, economic relations could only be resolved through negotiation. I am encouraged that the issue has not been deferred to the Security Council, precisely to give time for diplomacy and negotiation," ElBaradei said.

The IAEA board yesterday approved a resolution moved by the European Union that sets up Iran for future referral to the UN Security Council.

The vote was 22-1, with 12 countries, including Russia and China abstaining. India voted for the resolution, while Venezuela cast the only vote against.