Recently, the USA decided to support India’s memb- ership in multi-lateral export control regimes called the “Australia Group” and the “Wassenaar Arran-gement”. What is the difference between them 1. The Australia Group is an informal arrangement which aims to allow exporting countries to minimize the risk of assisting chemical and biological weapons proliferation, whereas the Wassenaar Arrangement is a formal group under the OECD holding identical objectives. 2. The Australia Group comprises predominantly of Asian, Afri- can and North American countries, whereas the member coun- tries of Wassenaar Arrangement are pre-dominantly from the European Union and American continents. Which of the statements given above is/are correct ?

Question

YESPYQ · Accepted Answer

Correct answer: Neither 1 nor 2. Statement 1 is incorrect: The Australia Group (AG) is indeed an informal arrangement that aims to prevent the pro- liferation of chemical and biological weapons. However, the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) is also an informal group, not a formal OECD body. The Wassenaar Arrangement focuses on the control of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, not chemical or biological weapons. Statement 2 is incorrect: The Australia Group consists of 42 members (including the USA, European countries, Australia, and Japan). It does not primarily comprise Asian, African, or North American nations. The Wassenaar Arrangement con- sists of 42 members, mainly from Europe, North America, and some Asian countries (including India, Japan, and South Ko- rea). However, it is not exclusive to European and American continents. 87

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