Saturday, January 28 2006 10:34 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The United States has said that it expects India to vote on Iran based on its self interests at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) meeting on February 2 and it has 'no desire' to interfere in this process.

"I think the record is clear that the United States considers India to be a great country and great countries make their own decisions based on their interests. We have the highest respect for that process. We would never want to interfere in it", the Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns told Indian mediapersons at a reception on the occasion of the Republican Day celebrations at the Indian Ambassador's residence.

"Ambassador Mulford and I both believe that he and I have had a chance to discuss with the Indian Government directly and we will keep those discussions private. We respect India, we respect its sovereignty, we respect its right to make its own decision", Burns said.

"But we have a right in international politics to articulate our own views, and Ambassador and I have both done that. I think it has been blown out of proportions. We have a mature, respectful relationship with the Indian Government", he said.

Defending his top envoy in New Delhi as an 'outstanding' Ambassador, Burns said the United States has the highest respect for the sovereignty of India.

"We know that India, like all countries, makes decisions based on its own national interests. And we expect nothing less on this issue of Iran", the senior administration official remarked.