India joins missile technology control group

India Monday officially joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), more than a year after it had applied for a full membership to the group.

Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar completed the formalities by signing the instrument of accession to the MTCR in the presence of the envoys of France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg in the national capital.

"India has joined the MTCR this morning... India's entry into the regime as its 35th member would be mutually beneficial in the furtherance of international non-proliferation objectives," the External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.

It added: "India would like to thank each of the 34 MTCR Partners for their support for India's membership. We would also like to thank Ambassador Pieter de Klerk of The Netherlands and Mr Robert Steinmetz of Luxembourg, co-Chairs of the MTCR."

India's becoming a member of the group will enable it to deal in high-end missile technology. Last year, it's entry was blocked by Italy over detention of two Italian marines by New Delhi on charges of killing two Indian fishermen off the coast of the southern state of Kerala.

The two marines have, however, returned to Italy, pending trial in India, a development that encouraged Rome not to obstruct India's entry into the group that monitors the transfer of missile equipment and technologies for systems that can deliver weapons of mass destruction. Endit