India to become full member of MTCR today

India is all set to join the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) on Monday as a full member.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Vikas Swarup yesterday said New Delhi had applied for membership of the MTCR last year and all the procedural formalities have been completed.

He said Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar will sign the document of accession into MTCR in the presence of Ambassadors of France, The Netherlands and Luxembourg in Seoul today.

The MTCR membership will enable India to buy high-end missile technology and also enhance its joint ventures with Russia.

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.

Significantly, China, which opposed India's entry into the 48-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) at the just-concluded Seoul plenary, is not a member of 34-nation MTCR.