Three days after a failed bid to join NSG, India has officially joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) as a full member on Monday. India became the 35th member of the organisation, that aims to check the proliferation of missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction (WMDs).
As a new member India will be entitled to “full participation” in organisational activities including the October 2016 plenary of the regime which will take place in South Korea.
“India has joined the MTCR this morning…India’s entry into the regime as its thirty-fifth member would be mutually beneficial in the furtherance of international non-proliferation objectives,” External Affairs Ministry said in a statement.
The official declaration from the MTCR Chair said, “The MTCR welcomes India into the Regime, convinced that its membership will strengthen the international efforts to prevent proliferation of delivery systems [ballistic missiles or unmanned aircraft] capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction”.
India had firmed up its claim to MTCR by joining The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC) earlier this summer.
MTCR membership will enable India to deal in high-end missile technology.
The aim of the MTCR is to restrict the proliferation of missiles, complete rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles and related technology for those systems capable of carrying a 500 kilogramme payload for at least 300 kilometres, as well as systems intended for the delivery of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
