Australia says no proposal for security pact with India

It denied media reports which quoted its Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd as suggesting that India had agreed to join such a trilateral security pact.

"Australia has not proposed such a trilateral arrangement," a statement issued by Australian High Commission here said.

"Media reports quoting the Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs characterising India's views on a trilateral security dialogue between India, Australia and the US are wrong," it said.

The statement said "the Minister was responding to a question about the proposed change in Australia's uranium policy when he said, 'the response from the Indian government has really been quite positive'."

Reports in Australia had quoted Rudd as saying that a new trilateral pact bringing in India was worth exploring and the response from the India has really been "quite positive".

A surprised India yesterday said there was no such move, with the Defence Ministry saying it was "taken aback".

"Defence Ministry is also not keen on hopping on to any multilateral security constructs in the region excepting those under the UN flag or such broad-based arrangements as ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting and ASEAN Regional Forum,"they said.

The External Affairs Ministry had struck a cautious note saying, "We are not aware of any such proposal."

Australian Defence Minister Steven Smith is scheduled to arrive here on December 7 on a six-day visit.