On Thursday, the Elite Export Control Regime Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) decided to admit India as its new member. This not only helps New Delhi to acquire critical technologies but also raises New Delhi’s stature in the field of nonproliferation.
In a statement, the WA said, “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.”
This decision was taken during the two day plenary meeting of the WA grouping in Vienna, Austria. In the plenary session, the WA reaffirmed its strong support for robust export controls on a Global basis. They also added the export controls is an important tool for ensuring international peace and stability.
The WA after the end of the two day meeting said, “Existing controls were further clarified regarding ground stations for spacecraft, submarine diesel engines, technology related to intrusion software, software for testing gas turbine engines, analog to digital converters, nonvolatile memories and information security.”
The WA membership is expected to build up a strong case for India’s entry into the 48 member Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) as well. China obstructed India’s entry into the NSG back in 2016 with the reason New Delhi was not a signatory of the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT.) China is not a member of the Wassenaar Arrangement but a part of the NSG.
NSG is a group of Nuclear Supplier Countries aimed to prevent nuclear proliferation. They control the export of materials, equipment and technology used to manufacture nuclear weapons.
The WA is also known as the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual Use Goods and Technologies is a Multilateral Export Control Regime (MECR.) It has 42 States participating including many former countries of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (CoMEcon.)
The WA members are required to ensure the transfer of Conventional Arms and Dual Use Goods and Technologies do not contribute to the development or enhancement of military capabilities. Their main aim is to prevent the acquisition of these items by terrorists.
Since its Civil Nuclear Deal with the U.S., India is trying to get into export control regimes. In June 2016, India joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) as a permanent member. The MTCR is also a key export control regime. The NSG, the MTCR, the Australia Group and the WA regulate the conventional, nuclear, biological and chemical weapons and technologies.
The French Ambassador to India Alexandre Ziegler congratulated India on joining the WA. “One more recognition after MTCR of the growing role India plays in today’s world,” he said.
The WA announced the next regular plenary meeting will be held in Vienna, Austria in December 2018.
