Granting STA-1 status to India by US continued policy of discrimination against Pak: Foreign office
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Pakistan foreign office today hit out at the US for granting India strategic partnership status over the import of high tech technology in defence and non-defence products, a facility extended to Nato allies in the past.
The foreign office said it was the "continuation of policies of discrimination".
"Pakistan believes all states have the right to acquire and use advanced and dual use technologies for socio-economic development under appropriate safeguards and without discrimination," Pakistan foreign office spokesman said.
Earlier, the ministry of external affairs had described the US move as a "logical culmination to India's designation as a major defence partner of the United States".
The US government had decided to move India into Tier-1 of the Department of Commerce's Strategic Trade Authorization license exception allowing the Modi government to import to buy a raft of technolgy connected to security.
Currently, 36 countries, mostly all NATO nations, have this status. India is the first country in South Asia to receive the Strategic Trade Authorization-1 (STA-1) status. Japan and South Korea are other Asian countries designated as STA-1.
"Disavowal of established legal and normative frameworks regulating strategic goods and technologies only undermines the global rules-based order," the Pakistan foreign office said.
Pakistan urges faithful adherence by all to the "letter and spirit" of relevant international treaties and export control regimes, the foreign office observed. The spokesperson also called on all countries to "carefully review their strategic export control policies that directly impinge on national security of Pakistan" and undercut stated goals of preserving strategic stability in the region.
Earlier, US Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced that the Trump administration has granted strategic trade authorisation status (STA-1) to India.