24.1.18

India in elite Australia Group

India gained entry into the Australia Group, an important non-proliferation regime which seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons.

After the Missile Technology Control Regime and the Wassenaar Arrangement, the membership in another of the four major export control regimes is expected to give India a leg-up in its bid to secure a berth in the 48-member Nuclear Suppliers Group, which has been blocked by China at the behest of Pakistan.

China is not a member of the MTCR, the WA and the AG.

“On 19 January, 2018, India formally became the 43rd member of the Australia Group, the cooperative and voluntary group of countries working to counter the spread of materials, equipment and technologies that could contribute to the development or acquisition of chemical and biological weapons by states or terrorist groups,” the AG said in a release.

The AG is an informal forum of countries which, through the “harmonisation of export controls, seeks to ensure that exports do not contribute to the development of chemical or biological weapons”.

It decided to admit India as the Group’s 43rd participant through a “consensus” decision, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. Reacting to India’s entry to the group, MEA spokesperson Ravish Kumar said it would be “mutually beneficial and to help in non proliferation”.

Kumar said the membership in the AG would be further contribute to the international security and non-proliferation objectives.

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