India becomes 42nd member of Wassenaar Arrangement, elite weapons export control group

India on Thursday became a member of the Wassenaar Arrangement, that controls the global trade of conventional weapons and dual-use goods and technologies.

India was made the 42nd member of the grouping, at its two-day plenary in Vienna.

The Ambassador of France Alexandre Ziegler tweeted his country's congratulations. "As president of the Wassenaar Arrangement this year and co-rapporteur of India's candidacy, France warmly congratulates India for joining the Arrangement.

"One more recognition, after MTCR, of the growing role India plays in today's world," he said, tagging India's Ministry of External Affairs, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, and French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian.

"Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) participating states reviewed progress of a number of current membership applications and agreed at the plenary meeting to admit India which will become the arrangement's 42 participating state as soon as the necessary procedural arrangements for joining the WA are completed," the grouping said in a statement.

India'a membership of the Wassenaar Arrangement on Export Controls for Conventional Arms and Dual-Use Goods and Technologies comes more than a year after becoming member of the Missile Technologies Control Regime (MTCR).

Earlier, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said that India was likely to get membership of the grouping during the plenary in Vienna.

India has still to get membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and the Australia Group.

Last year, India gained entry into the Missile Technologies Control Regime (MTCR), which paved the way for it to get critical missile technologies and also export its missiles.

Russia, France, Germany and the US have backed India's entry into the Wassenaar Arrangement.

China, which has repeatedly blocked New Delhi's bid for membership of the NSG, is not a member of the Wassenaar Arrangement.

Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Wednesday discussed India's entry into the Wassenaar Arrangement with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov.