India joins Wassenaar Arrangement

Smita Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 8

In a boost to its nuclear non-proliferation credentials, India has been accepted as the 42nd member of the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA).

After its two-day plenary session in Vienna on 6 and 7 December, the grouping said in a statement, “Wassenaar Arrangement participating states reviewed the progress of a number of current membership applications and agreed at the plenary meeting to admit India which will become the Arrangement’s 42nd participating state as soon as the necessary procedural arrangements for joining the WA are completed.”

A global export-control regime, the arrangement will broaden access to sensitive technologies for India despite being non-signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

The membership is expected to ease access to high-tech items for defence and space programmes, according to Indian officials and also makes it eligible for some licensing exceptions.

Accepting the offer for admission, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar informed, “The necessary procedural arrangements for India’s admission will be completed shortly.”

Formally known as the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies, the organisation, which was established in 1996, is key to the global non-proliferation regime.

While consensus is required for admission of a new state, India’s membership pushed by the United States did not hit the China wall here unlike in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) negotiations because Beijing is not a part of the arrangement.

Italy, the sole dissenting voice following the diplomatic row over the Marines trial case, came on board after recent reset of bilateral ties and the visit of the Italian Prime Minister to India.

Last year India acceded to the Missile Control Technology Regime and awaits entry to the Australia group, an informal export-control grouping concerned with the non-proliferation of chemical and biological weapons.

Asked if Wassenaar Arrangement memberships helps India’s push for NSG, the spokesperson said, “The two are not connected but when you join one it does prove your credentials.”

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be in Delhi next week to participate in the Russia-India-China trilateral.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Ryabkov said in Delhi this week that Moscow has been talking to Beijing about India’s NSG membership, and now with the Wassenaar clearance, the issue might figure in talks next week.

US Ambassador Kenneth Juster congratulated India on Twitter recalling he was involved in this process previously as Under Secretary of Commerce.

Alexandre Ziegler, envoy of France, which is president of the arrangement this year and also co-rapporteur of India’s candidacy, welcomed the announcement.