India says it considers its own national interests and wants to develop relations with Iran without being intimidated by political pressure.

"Iran and India could develop relations not only in the field of energy but also in new industries, mineral products and banking activities," Indian Ambassador to Iran, Manbir Singh said Sunday in a meeting at Tehran's chamber of commerce.

The minister stressed that India would not let outside political pressure distract the developing relations between the two countries.

Iran and India have recently approved several memorandums of understanding including the declaration of Bandar-e Shahid Rajaei and Jawaharlal Nehru port as sister cities and cooperating in agriculture and trade.

Tehran and New Delhi have also expressed commitment to continue talks on the huge 2,775-kilometer pipeline project that will transfer 60 million cubic meters of natural gas per day from Iran to Pakistan and India.

This is while some media outlets had speculated that New Delhi is being influenced by US pressure to quit the project. According to the speculations, the country is not willing to carry out the gas pipeline project, as New Delhi is now a nuclear nation.

The Indian Ambassador to Iran rejected the speculations: "India is a big energy consumer and we are interested to see the Iran-Pakistan-India (IPI) gas pipeline built."

Indian Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee had said earlier in November that the US-Indo nuclear deal would have no impact on energy ties with Iran.

Nuclear power "is one source of energy, the other important source is the IPI gas pipeline. One is not exclusive to the other," Mukherjee said.

MVZ/MMA/IR