New Delhi, Aug 24 - Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Monday said he will examine the issue of reported unwillingness of Swiss authorities to divulge the names and other details of Indians who hold secret, illegal accounts with banks there.

'I have just read this in the newspaper. I will talk with the Swiss banks later and then comment on the same,' Mukherjee told reporters at his office at the North Block, reacting to a report on the matter.

The report said Swiss banks were unwilling to part with the details of individual Indian account holders, hindering New Delhi's bid to unearth black money purportedly stashed away there behind strict Swiss banking laws.

But with the US, the Swiss authorities already have a pact under which one of their top banks will hand over to the US Internal Revenue Service the details of some 4,500 secret accounts worth $18 billion.

Mukherjee had earlier informed parliament that the Swiss authorities had agreed to negotiate on the matter and said the government had not only taken up the matter with Switzerland but also other countries.