India now elite missile club member, China still waiting, says MEA

India on Monday joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) overtaking China, whose application for membership of this elite club of nations controlling exports in missile technology, is pending since 2004.

A place in the Missile Technology Control Regime is likely to benefit India's space and missile programmes, besides easing access to new long range drones from the USA and other countries.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar signed the instrument of accession to 34-member Missile Technology Control Regim in the presence of France's Ambassador-designate Alexandre Ziegler, The Netherlands Ambassador Alphonsus Stoelinga and Luxembourg's Chargé d'Affaires Laure Huberty.

While the Netherlands and Luxembourg are co-chairs of Missile Technology Control Regim, the French presence was needed because Paris is the point of contact for the MTCR.

“India’s entry into the regime as its 35th member would be mutually beneficial in the furtherance of international non-proliferation objectives,” said Vikas Swarup, spokesperson for the Ministry of External Affairs.

MTCR is the first multilateral export control regime to open its doors for New Delhi after an initial hiccup.

India is trying for the membership of three other export control regimes – Nuclear Suppliers Group (controls nuclear commerce); Australia Group (controls export of biological and chemical weapons) and Wassenaar Arrangement (controls export of conventional weapons and dual use goods and technology).

Last week, India's effort to become a NSG member failed due to persistent opposition from China.

New Delhi stumbled last year when Italy objected to India's entry at MTCR plenary meeting in October 2015.

The move was seen as a leverage to compel New Delhi to relax its position on the Italian marines, who are facing legal charges for killing two fishermen.

Similar to China that used non-participation in Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty as the ground to deny India a place in the NSG, Italy too cited India's absence from the NPT to block New Delhi's entry to MTCR.

However, due to back channel diplomacy, the second Italian marine returned home in May and Rome changed its position.

In June, India fulfilled another criterion by signing the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation.

The Code makes it mandatory for the signatories to provide pre-launch notifications on ballistic missiles, space launch vehicle and test flights, besides submitting an annual declaration of policy on satellite launch vehicles and ballistic missiles.