India on Thursday said its deal with the United States for civilian nuclear cooperation cannot be linked with North Korea's nuclear test or Iran's nuclear policy.

'The India-US nuclear understanding is based on its own merits with a view to addressing India's growing energy requirements. It cannot be linked either with North Korea's nuclear test or Iran's nuclear policy,' External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha.

He said the Indo-US nuclear understanding enjoys broad bipartisan support, reflected in large majorities by which both Republicans and Democrats voted in favour of the bill to enable full civil nuclear energy cooperation.