No country can affect our ties with India: Iran

He said India is "indeed a big and great country" which will conduct its relations with other countries based on its national interest, said Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.

Unfazed by the growing proximity between New Delhi and Washington, Iran on Friday said its relations with India would remain unaffected by any third country and indicated support to India's quest for civil nuclear energy.

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"We are working to build on our very good relations with India. We do not want to have good relations with India that will be against any third country. We don't want that," Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said.

"At the same time, Iran and India will not allow a third country to negatively affect our good relations," he said when asked whether he thought growing Indo-US relations could have an impact on ties between Tehran and New Delhi.

He said India is "indeed a big and great country" which will conduct its relations with other countries based on its national interest.