Simran Sodhi

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, June 27

India today formally joined the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) as the 35th member of the international grouping. This may come as a relief to the Modi government, reeling under the rejection of its membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the Seoul conclave.In 2015, India’s membership to the MTCR was blocked by Italy, which was upset with India over the detention of its two marines. The path was cleared when the second marine, Salvatore Girone, was allowed to return to Italy in May this year. During a brief ceremony this morning, Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar signed the instrument of accession to the MTCR in the presence of France’s Ambassador-designate Alexandre Ziegler, the Netherlands Ambassador Alphonsus Stoelinga and Luxembourg’s Chargé d’Affaires Laure Huberty. India had recently joined The Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC) which brought it closer to the MTRC membership.(Follow The Tribune on Facebook and Twitter @thetribunechd)Since 2008, when India signed the historic Indo-US civil nuclear deal, it has been trying to get a berth in international groupings such as the NSG, MTCR and Wassenaar Arrangement. The MTCR membership is especially sweet to India since China is not yet a member of this group. India, pointing an accusing finger at China, has said that “one country raised procedural issues and blocked India’s membership of the NSG”.   The MTCR membership is expected to give a boost to the NDA government’s  ‘Make in India’ project. It will enable India to buy high-end missile technology. France welcomed India into the MTCR, saying, “France welcomes India’s commitment to combating the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems. As of June 27, India is participating in the Missile Technology Control Regime.” It went on to state that India’s adherence would contribute to “better regulating the proliferation of equipment that could be used in missiles or drones capable of delivering weapons of mass destruction”. France has been very supportive of India’s bid to join the NSG.