New Delhi (Sputnik) – India has welcomed the US government's decision to ease export controls for high technology product sales to New Delhi.
"We welcome the announcement made by US Secretary of Commerce Wilbur Ross in the Indo-Pacific Business Forum on July 30, 2018, about the US government's decision to move India into Tier-1 of the Department of Commerce's Strategic Trade Authorization license exception," India's Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Tuesday.
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It is a logical culmination to India's designation as a major Defense Partner of the US and a reaffirmation of India's impeccable record as a responsible member of the concerned multilateral export control regimes, the statement further read.
"We look forward to the US side operationalizing the decision at an early date," the ministry said.
On Monday, the United States designated India as a Strategic Trade Authorization-1 (STA-1) country — a status that will allow the country to buy highly advanced and sensitive technologies from America.
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"US companies will be able to more efficiently export a much wider range of products to Indian high technology and military customers. India's new status will benefit US manufacturers while continuing to protect its national security," US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said in a statement.
Earlier in 2016, the US had designated India as a major defense partner which was seen as a step further in moving towards India's STA-1 status.