Wassenaar Arrangement decides to admit India as its new member

Elite export control regime Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) today decided to admit India as its new member.India's entry into the export control regime would enhance its credentials in the field of non-proliferation despite not being a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

The decision was taken at the two-day plenary meeting of the grouping in Vienna. 

The grouping said in a statement that the Wassenaar Arrangement participating states reviewed the progress of a number of current membership applications and agreed at the plenary meeting to admit India. 

India will become the Arrangement's 42nd participating state as soon as the necessary procedural arrangements for joining the WA are completed.The WA membership is also expected to build up a strong case



for India's entry into the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG). 

The Wassenaar Arrangement plays a significant role in promoting transparency and greater responsibility in transfers of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies.

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.

French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler congratulated India on joining the Wassenaar Arrangement.