Tuesday, July 11 2006 13:06 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: The US has said no parallel could be drawn between the missile tests by India and North Korea, as New Delhi had informed both Washington and Pakistan before launching its nuclear capable Agni-III ballistic missile.

"I wouldn't try to draw any equivalence between India, the world's largest multiethnic democracy, and North Korea, a closed totalitarian state," said State Department spokesman Sean McCormack Monday.

"That is their decision to make," he said when asked if it was the right time for India to launch a long-range missile at a time when Washington was involved in a dispute over the North Korean tests and the India-US nuclear deal was awaiting Congressional approval.

"They did notify us in advance that they were doing this. They did notify the Pakistan government that they were doing it in advance, in conformity with their agreement with the Pakistani government," McCormack noted.

Asked if with tensions very high in that region right now, was it the right time for India to do something like this, the spokesman repeated, "Again, they notified all the relevant parties consistent with their agreements and understandings."