India formally becomes member of elite export control regime ‘Wassenaar Arrangement’
New Delhi, December 9: India on Friday joined the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) a day after it was elected as the 42nd member in a global export control regime. Notably, the strengthened and tactical diplomacy of New Delhi attracted all the 41 members to elect India in the elite export control regime Wassenaar Arrangement.
India joined the Wassenaar Arrangement following the completion of internal procedures for joining the Arrangement. The Indian government thanked all the 41 members of Wassenaar Arrangement to vote for India and allow New Delhi to gain membership of the elite export control regime.
In the press statement released by External Affairs Ministry said, “India would like to thank each of the forty-one WA Participating States for their support for India’s membership. We would also like to thank Ambassador Jean Louis Falconi of France, 2017 Plenary Chair of the WA for his role in facilitating India’s accession to the Arrangement. India also notes the valuable contribution of Japan and France as co-rapporteurs, and Ambassador Philip Griffiths, Head of WA Secretariat, for their guidance during the preparatory process.”
External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj took to a twitter and said, “India has been admitted as a member of Wassenaar Arrangement in the Wassenaar Arrangement Plenary held in Vienna. We thank all the 41 Wassenaar Arrangement member states for their support.” “This is the second diplomatic success for India for the membership of Export Control regimes. We became a member of MTCR in June 2016,” the Minister tweeted.
India was admitted as the 42nd member of the Wassenaar Arrangement was decided at the two-day plenary meeting of the grouping in Vienna. However, India's entry into the Wassenaar Arrangement would enhance its credentials in the field of non-proliferation despite not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
The Wassenaar Arrangement membership will build up a strong case for India's entry into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). Importantly, China, who stalled India's entry into the 48-nation NSG is not a member of the Wassenaar Arrangement.
In June last year, India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), another key export control regime, as a full member. Since its civil nuclear deal with the US, India has been trying to get into export control regimes such as the NSG, the MTCR, the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement that regulate the conventional, nuclear, biological and chemicals weapons and technologies.
Interestingly, the next regular plenary meeting of WA will be held in Vienna in Austria in December 2018. The Wassenaar Arrangement plays a significant role in promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies. Its member countries are required to ensure that transfers of these items do not contribute to the development or enhancement of military capabilities which undermine these goals. The aim is also to prevent the acquisition of these items by terrorists.