EFSAS comments on India's inclusion in US' Strategic Trade Authorization List
August 10, 2018
The STA-1 notification follows up the US decision of 2016 to recognize India as a Major Defense Partner (MDP). The two countries in the India-US Joint Statement of 7 June 2016 titled "The United States and India: Enduring Global Partners in the 21st Century" had stated: "Noting that the US-India defense relationship can be an anchor of stability and given the increasingly strengthened cooperation in defense, the US hereby recognizes India as a Major Defense Partner". This decision had been accompanied by an understanding that India would receive license-free access to a wide range of US high-end and dual-use technologies, for which necessary steps, including passage of the required legislation, would be undertaken by the US. India, meanwhile, agreed to take steps to advance its export control regime. A year and a half of negotiations and preparations ensued. During this period strong US support and its own credentials as a responsible member of the international community gained India admission to three of the four multilateral export control regimes, the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) on 27 June 2016, the Wassenaar Arrangement on 7 December 2017, and the Australia Group on 19 January 2018.
