For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 23, 2006

President's Statement on Proliferation Security Initiative

Today, members of the international community are gathered in Warsaw, Poland, to share their experiences and develop new approaches to countering the trafficking of weapons of mass destruction through the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). Since the initiative was launched in Krakow, Poland, on May 31, 2003, the PSI has grown from a handful of nations to a global partnership of more than 70 countries from all around the world.

The PSI is dedicated to stopping all aspects of the proliferation trade and to denying terrorists, rogue states, and their supplier networks access to WMD-related materials and delivery systems. Together, we are working to disrupt the financial activities of networks that support proliferation, as called for in United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1540 and 1673. Together, we are shutting down front companies and proliferation networks and interdicting cargo carrying these dangerous materials, whether transported by land, air, or sea. With renewed determination, PSI supporters have come to Warsaw to further enhance our ability to counter WMD proliferation.

I join President Lech Kaczynski in welcoming PSI supporters to Warsaw, including our newest partners from the Persian Gulf and Central Asia. I commend all member nations for their readiness in taking on this vital task, and I urge all responsible states to join this global effort to end the WMD proliferation trade.

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