Posted on 05/31/2004 12:10:44 PM PDT by Grzegorz 246
KRAKOW, Poland (AFP) - Up to 80 nations gathered in southern Poland to mark the first anniversary of a Washington-sponsored pact aimed at stemming the spread of weapons of massive destruction, hailing Russia's decision to come aboard.
John Bolton, US under secretary of state for arms control, described Russia's announcement earlier Monday that it would sign up to the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) as a "major development", which should close off valuable lanes to traffickers of weapons of mass destruction (WMD).
"This is a major development, a very welcome decision," Bolton told a news conference, after Russia's foreign ministry announced Moscow would join the group of core countries in the pact.
"I think as a political signal Russia joining the core group of PSI is very profound and I think its implications will reach far and wide."
"Russia is a great naval power and has extensive land and air space that can be used for commercial activities that we now hope and expect will now be closed to proliferators," he said.
Washington has struggled to get Moscow to come aboard the accord, launched exactly a year ago during a visit by US President George W. Bush (news - web sites) to Poland.
The PSI allows for the seizure of missiles and other potential components of weapons of mass destruction while they are at sea or in the air.
Moscow has argued the PSI would open the way for unilateral military action from Washington and wanted such deals to be negotiated through the United Nations (news - web sites) Security Council in which it has veto power.
However, signs had emerged that it would agree to sign up to the pact at the Krakow anniversary meeting, grouping core members and other supporting nations, or shortly afterwards.
Polish Foreign Minister Wlodzimierz Cimoszewicz pointed to the United Nations' ineffectiveness in fighting the proliferation when opening the conference.
"Currently we had to find rapidly the new effective instruments without waiting when the United Nations acquires the necessarily effectiveness," he said. "The Proliferation Security Initiative was a response born out of this necessity."
"But at the same time we have to renew the effort to reinvigorate the United Nations. The United Nations may completely diminish in importance, unless it undergoes indispensable transformation.
Australia, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Singapore, Spain and the United States are the other core signatories to the pact.
Moscow has argued the PSI would open the way for unilateral military action from Washington and wanted such deals to be negotiated through the United Nations
sno point if China andPakistan ain't in.
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