PUTRAJAYA, April 27 — US President Barack Obama has welcomed Malaysia's commitment to counter proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) with the endorsement of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) Statement of Interdiction Principles.

He said PSI was a strong liaison where both countries had put a framework around it involving capacity building, thus it is not just a one way street.

 “Obviously we are working on this issue for a long time. I consider  proliferation of WMD is one of the greatest threats to US security, as well as international peace.

 “So we have developed a lot of capacity research, but this is a partnership, what we seek to do is to find ways of which the strength of information that each side has, can be enhanced and combined and pooled.

 “So that we don’t have the possibility of nuclear material or certain components or parts either being shipped or sold to the wrong hands,” he said.

Obama said this at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak following talks between both leaders here today.

The US President is on a three-day visit to Malaysia, the first by a sitting American president in nearly 50 years.

During the talks, both leaders agreed to strengthen cooperation in peacekeeping training while Malaysia has decided to endorse the PSI statement.

Echoing Najib's statement that both countries have developed a strong partnership, Obama said that this cooperation was vital in the global effort to stop trafficking of WMD.

 “This region is a potential area where traffickers, in parts and systems (of WMD), could lead to nuclear proliferation.

 “In our conversation, in our team consultation, we begin to tighten links and bonds between us in terms of sharing information, identify threats and work more closely and properly together. We have done that,” he said.

Obama said the US appreciated the ongoing cooperation on this and believed the PSI signified what both countries could develop together in the future.

Meanwhile, Najib said the PCI was not new in substance because both countries had been working very closely, hence whenever there was a request for them to do some interdiction, both countries never failed to respond.

 “What we are doing today is to formalise it so that there will be a formal relationship.

 “This relationship will continue what we have done and also reflects strong will and desire on the Malaysian side, to not only cooperate with the US, but with the international community to stop proliferation (of WMD),” he said.

The PSI is a global effort that aims to stop trafficking of WMD, their delivery systems, and related materials to and from states and non-state actors.

It was launched by US President George W. Bush in May 2003 at a meeting in Kraków, Poland, and has now grown to include the endorsement of 102 nations around the world.

The primary role of PSI participants is to abide by the Statement of Interdiction Principles, with the primary purpose of interdicting such weapons and materials. 

Participants are recommended to enact legal statutes to facilitate effective interdiction and seizure of such items and take measures to ensure that their national facilities are not utilised to transfer illicit weapon cargoes. — Bernama