India’s membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) may have got stalled for now, but another door has opened for the country to access weapons technology. New Delhi, on Monday, joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) as a full member after Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar signed the instrument of accession.
The MTCR membership is one of the four multilateral export controls regimes that India was aiming to be member of, apart from the NSG, the Australia Group and the Wassenaar Arrangement. These regulate the conventional, nuclear, biological and chemicals weapons and technologies and membership to MTCR will enable India buy high-end missile technology and enhance joint ventures.
This is India’s first entry into any multilateral export control regime. However, the US has assured India that there are many more to come. US envoy to India Richard Verma said though the US is “disappointed” that India was not admitted to NSG during its recent plenary in Seoul, his government will continue to work with all the members of 48-nation grouping on India’s accession in the months ahead. Interestingly, China which blocked India’s chances in the NSG meeting last week, is not a member of MTCR.
The MTCR Point of Contact in Paris conveyed the decision regarding India’s accession to the regime through the French Embassy in New Delhi as well as the Embassies of The Netherlands and luxembourg. “India has joined the MTCR this morning...India’s entry into the regime as its thirty-fifth member would be mutually beneficial in the furtherance of international non-proliferation objectives,” External Affairs Ministry said in a statement after Jaishankar signed the instrument of accession to MTCR in the presence of France’s Ambassador-designate Alexandre Ziegler, The Netherlands’ Ambassador Alphonsus Stoelinga and luxembourg’s Chargé d’Affaires laure Huberty.
“India would like to thank each of the thirty-four MTCR Partners for their support for India’s membership. We would also like to thank Ambassador Pieter de Klerk of The Netherlands and Mr Robert Steinmetz of luxembourg, co-Chairs of the MTCR,” the statement said. The MTCR membership comes shortly after India signed the Hague Code of Conduct, a voluntary, legally non-binding international confidence building and transparency measure that seeks to prevent the proliferation of ballistic missiles capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction.
The aim of MTCR is to restrict the proliferation of missiles, complete rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogramme payload for at least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD). The Regime’s controls are applicable to certain complete rocket systems and unmanned air vehicle systems.
Welcoming India’s inclusion to MTCR, France said India’s adherence will contribute to better regulating the proliferation of equipment that could be used in missiles or drones capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction. “France welcomes India’s commitment to combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems... France has actively supported its adherence, towards which we have worked jointly. India’s adherence will contribute to better regulating the proliferation of equipment that could be used in missiles or drones capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction,” the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development said in a statement from Paris.
Richard Verma said US strongly affirmed support for India’s accession into the multi-lateral export control regimes. “With regard to the NSG, six years ago, President (Barack) Obama first expressed his support for India’s membership in the NSG. Since that time, we have worked closely with our Indian counterparts and NSG members to help advance India’s case for membership. India has a strong record, and deserves to be included in the NSG,” Verma said while adding US will strongly support India’s role in global institutions, like having a seat on a reformed United Nations Security Council.