India not interested in trilateral security agreement with U.S., Australia: report

NEW DELHI, Dec. 1 (Xinhua) -- India Thursday said it is not interested in a trilateral security agreement with the United States and Australia, as was suggested by Australian foreign minister Kevin Rudd, reported Indo-Asian News Service.

"We are not aware of any such proposal," the report quoted Vishnu Prakash, the Indian external affairs ministry's spokesperson, as saying.

Indian defense ministry officials also said they were taken aback at the statement of the Australian foreign minister, according to the report.

The defense ministry sources said India is not "keen on hopping to any multilateral security constructions in the region except for those under the UN flag or such broad-based arrangements as ASEAN Defense Ministers Meet (ADMM+) and ASEAN Regional Forum", according to the report.

In an interview with Australian Financial Review, Rudd suggested the formation of a security pact with India and the United States, saying it could come into being if Canberra ends a ban on uranium sales to India.