India joins Missile Technology Control Regime
June 27, 2016 10:48
In its first entry into any multilateral export control regime, India today joined the Missile Technology Control Regime as a full member, three days after it failed to get NSG membership due to stiff opposition from China and a few other countries.
In a statement, the External Affairs Ministry said: "India would like to thank each of the 34 MTCR partners for their support to India's membership. We would also like to thank Ambassador Pieter de Klarke of The Netherlands and Robert Steinmetz of Luxembourg, co-chairs of the MTCR, for facilitating India's accession to the regime."
"India's entry into the regime as its 35th member will be mutually beneficial in the furtherance of international non-proliferation objectives."
Significantly, China, which stonewalled India's entry into the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group at the just-concluded Seoul plenary, is not a member of 34-nation MTCR.
Since its civil nuclear deal with the US, India has been trying to get into export control regimes like NSG, MTCR, the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement that regulate the conventional, nuclear, biological and chemicals weapons and technologies.
India's case in MTCR was opposed last year by Italy which is not happy with New Delhi over the marines dispute. However, after both marines, accused of murdering two fishermen off the Kerala coast in 2012, were allowed to return, the Italians have softened their opposition.
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