The Republic of Croatia admitted to the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) full membership

The Wassenaar Arrangement is the first global multilateral arrangement on export controls for conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies. It was adopted in 1996 by 33 founding countries, and was implemented in September the same year. The WA's purpose is to promote transparency and to stimulate greater responsibility in the trade of conventional arms and dual-use goods and technologies, in order to prevent their destabilising amassment through exchanging information and opinions. The WA, through its activities, supplements and reinforces other regimes for the prevention of creation and proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their use, focusing on the threats which the exchange of such arms, goods and technologies can pose to international and regional peace and security.

The WA member countries monitor the export of goods listed on the joint list to which periodical additions, in accordance with the development of technology and the gained experience, are made. The countries also exchange information, including half-annual reports on the trade of arms in the seven categories of the U.N. conventional arms register, as well as the reports on transfer or transfer prohibition of dual-goods that are being monitored, and other information which the member countries find important. The WA reaches its decisions by consensus. The member countries meet regularly in Vienna, where the WA Secretary is also situated. Austria is presiding over the Arrangement this year.

The WA member countries are: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Russian Federation, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States (33 founding countries). The new countries are Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Slovenia, and Croatia (since June 29).