India Joins Missile Control Regime: 'Now Has Role in Setting Geopolitics'

Sputnik News

16:46 27.06.2016

India officially joined the Missile Control Technology Regime as a full member on Monday.

New Delhi (Sputnik) – India becomes the 35th member of the MTCR on Monday as India's Foreign Secretary received MTCR membership papers from the envoys of France, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.

"We are finally going to complete all the procedural formalities which are needed for India to become a full-fledged member of the Missile Technology Control Regime so it's an important day for us," Ministry Of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup told reporters.

MTCR membership has come as a respite for India after it failed to get the Nuclear Suppliers Group membership at the NSG Plenary meeting held in Seoul last week.

"It is an international achievement. We will get the latest technology. Our technical manpower will get the chance to learn about the latest technology," K K Jha, a prominent space scientist, told Sputnik.

According to Jay Panda, an Indian Member Of Parliament, "This shows that India is ready to play by the rules of the big nations and have a role in setting Geopolitics."

One of the most important benefits will be that now India can sell the Indo-Russian joint venture Supersonic Cruise Missile BrahMos to third countries, as several countries of South East Asia and Latin America has shown an interest in it.

Also, the Indian Space Research Organization can now get access to restricted high-end technologies for developing its cryogenic engines to expand its space exploration program.

Being a member of MTCR, India can procure surveillance drones from the US and other countries which India needs for counter terrorism and border surveillance purposes.

The Missile Technology Control Regime is an informal, voluntary association of nations and aims to check the proliferation of missiles and UAV's capable of carrying weapons of mass destruction.

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