Wednesday, December 7 2005 12:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: India has not entered into any missile arrangement with the US under the defence framework with Washington, Rajya Sabha was informed today (Dec 7,2005).

"There is no question of having any missile defence arrangement with the US as far as the framework is concerned," Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee said while replying to supplementaries during Question Hour.

"Framework is not an agreement," he said adding arrangements should not be construed as agreements.

Mukherjee said the defence framework arrangement with the US was entered into in June.

He said agreements in the field of defence cooperation with various countries are entered into from time to time depending on the level of bilateral relations with the country involved.

"In the past three years, MOUs or agreements on Defence Cooperation have been entered into by India with several countries including China, Russia, the UK and France," Mukherjee said.

"There were 16 such MOUs or agreements in the Army, 22 in the Navy and six in the Air Force," he said.

Mukherjee termed as 'hypothetical' that military cooperation could become pacts.

He said joint exercises between Indian and US forces were conducted at Kalaikunda Air Force base.

In reply to a query from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Yashwant Sinha, Mukherjee said no proliferation and security initiative had been entered into with the US.