India’s membership of Australia Group reaffirms our non-proliferation credentials: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said India's entry into the elite nuclear clubs, including Australia Group (AG), has reaffirmed the country's non-proliferation credentials.

"Over the last two years, India's membership of MTCR, Wassenaar Arrangement and Australia Group reaffirms India's strong non-proliferation credentials and also our commitment to global peace and security," PM tweeted.

He also thanked Australia and other members of the AG for supporting India's entry in the club on Friday.

I thank Australia and other members of the Australia Group for export control for supporting India's entry in it. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2018

Over the last two years, India’s membership of MTCR, Wassenaar Arrangement & Australia Group reaffirms India's strong non-proliferation credentials & also our commitment to global peace and security. — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 20, 2018

The Australia Group admitted India as the 43rd member through a consensus decision. It is the third export control group India has joined. It is already a member of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) and Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies.

The government in a statement on Friday had said that India joined the Australia Group after internal procedures for joining the club were completed. 

"On 19 January 2018 India formally became the 43rd member of the Australia Group (AG), 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 (CBW) by states or terrorist groups," the AG had said in a release.

Reacting to India's entry to the group, MEA spokesperson Ravish Kumar had said that it would be "mutually beneficial and to help in non-proliferation".

He had added that the membership in the AG would further contribute to the international security and non-proliferation objectives.

"India would like to thank each of the AG participants for their support for India's membership. We would also like to thank Ambassador Jane Hardy of Australia, former Chair of the Australia Group, for her role in facilitating India's accession to the Group," Kumar had said.

(With IANS and PTI inputs)