Mexico Admitted as Full Member of Wassenaar Arrangement
On January 20, 2012, Mexico's Ministry of Economy announced that Mexico's accession to the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) was approved by the 40 member countries. This accession implies the recognition of Mexico as a safe country of origin for dual-use goods and high technology and a reliable destination for investment for the production of such goods. The decision in favor of Mexico's WA membership is based on the country's commitment to disarmament and nonproliferation and the effectiveness of its national export controls. As a member, Mexico will have access to new markets and technology, as well as a potential market in high technology exports.
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(The Wassenaar Arrangement is the first global multilateral arrangement on export controls for conventional weapons and sensitive dual-use goods and technologies and began operations in 1996. The Arrangement is open to prospective adherents that comply with the agreed criteria. To be admitted, a state must: be a producer/exporter of arms or industrial equipment, respectively; maintain non-proliferation policies and appropriate national policies, including adherence to relevant non-proliferation regimes and treaties; and maintain fully effective export controls. With Mexico, there are now 41 Member States to the WA, including: the U.S., Canada, the 27 European Union countries, Argentina, and others.)
State Department's congratulatory media note on Mexico's membership (dated 01/25/12) available here.