Boost for NSG membership: Key arms club welcomes India

NEWDELHI: India on Friday became the 43rd member of the Australia Group (AG), a key export control regime, bolstering the country’s efforts to join the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) that controls trade in fissile materials and technologies.

The AG is a group of countries working to counter the spread of equipment, materials and technologies that could contribute to the development or acquisition of chemical and biological weapons by states or terrorist groups.

India’s entry into the third major export control regime after the Wassenaar Arrangement and the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) will strengthen supply chain security in biotechnology and chemical industries.

“There was very strong support expressed for India’s membership at the 26-30 June, 2017 Australia Group Plenary, after which consensus was reached inter-sessionally. India then reaffirmed its intention to join the Group,” the grouping said in a statement on Friday.

The external affairs ministry said in a statement: “India’s entry into the Group would be mutually beneficial and further contribute to international security and non-proliferation objectives.”

The number of countries in the AG has grown from 15 in 1985 to 41 plus the European Union. China is not a member of this grouping.

India’s efforts to join the NSG have been consistently blocked by China despite support from the US and other key Western powers.

The NSG works on the principle of consensus and even one country saying no can spoil India’s chances of getting entry.

The members of the AG recognised India’s commitment to align export control systems with the group’s policies.

It also recognised New Delhi’s determination “to contribute to the global effort to prevent the proliferation of CBW in the security interests of all members of the international community”.

New Delhi maintained its “law-based export control system enables the Government of India to implement the obligations arising from the Australia Group’s Guidelines and Common Control Lists including its reporting requirements, information exchange and principles”, the grouping said in its statement.

This will help reinforce to the world community the larger acceptance India is getting for its non-proliferation credentials. India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, and maintains the pact is discriminatory.

INDIA BECOMES 43RD MEMBER OF MAJOR GROUPING ON GLOBAL NONPROLIFERATION OF WEAPONS