'Entry into Wassenaar Arrangement will give access hi-tech weapons market'

NEW DELHI: An entry into the Wassenaar Arrangement is expected to facilitate high technology tie-ups with Indian industry and ease access to high-tech items for the country's defence and space programs, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The MEA, however, added that membership to the Arrangement would not automatically entail any preferential treatment from other WA members, it would create the grounds for realignment of India in the export control policy framework of other WA members including eligibility for certain licensing exceptions. 

"The Plenary meeting of Wassenaar Arrangement held on 6 – 7 December 2017 in Vienna, Austria, has decided to admit India, which will become the Arrangement’s 42nd participating state. The necessary procedural arrangements for India’s admission will be completed shortly," the MEA said.

In a significant development, elite export control regime Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) decided to admit India as its new member. The development is expected to raise New Delhi's stature in the field of non-proliferation besides helping it acquire critical technologies.

The decision was taken at the two-day plenary meeting of the grouping in Vienna on Thursday.

"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," the grouping said in a statement.