MARKING FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF PSI WITH AN OP-ED

UNCLAS YEREVAN 000699 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EUR/CARC E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PARM PREL MNUC KNNP XG AM SUBJECT: MARKING FOURTH ANNIVERSARY OF PSI WITH AN OP-ED REF: STATE 71024 ¶1. Post concluded the best way to accomplish reftel goals was to place an op-ed from the CDA in the governmental newspaper Hayastan Hanrepetutyun, which we also conveyed as a courtesy to the MFA's International Security Department. The op-ed ran on May 30. Complete text follows. ¶2. TEXT OF OP-ED: May 31 will mark the fourth anniversary of the establishment of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). The PSI is an informal network of cooperating nations that are committed to stopping trafficking in weapons of mass destruction (WMD) on the land, sea or in the air. All PSI activities are voluntary and vary according to an individual country's capabilities and legal framework. The hallmark of PSI cooperation is the rapid coordination required to prevent proliferation. This growing partnership of nations demonstrates the global commitment of responsible nations to ensure that WMD proliferators will not find a safe haven for their illicit trade. Since its inception, the PSI has gained the support of more than 80 countries, including Armenia. We would like to thank Armenia for endorsing this initiative and for being an active partner in the war on terror. We also acknowledge and greatly appreciate Armenia's partnership in the Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism, which will hold its third meeting in Kazakhstan in mid-June. Both the Global Initiative and the PSI contribute to the war on terror. The PSI has been, and continues to be, an enormously successful tool in restricting, and in some cases stopping, proliferation activities. To date, PSI partners have conducted 26 operational interdiction training exercises involving more than 50 nations. These exercises are a key element in increasing the interoperability of PSI participants, improving the interdiction decision-making processes and procedures, and enhancing the interdiction capacities of all participating states. This growing partnership of nations demonstrates the global commitment of responsible nations to ensure that WMD proliferators will not find a safe haven for their illicit trade. Armenia has proven itself an active partner in this sphere, participating not only through its international commitments, but also through closer monitoring of its borders. GODFREY