Moscow: Russia today (May 31, 2004) joined the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), announced by US President George W Bush in May 2003 to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction.

"Today, on May 31, Russia joined the group of PSI founder States. A Russian delegation is participating in a meeting of PSI founder countries in Krakow, Poland," Russian foreign ministry said in a statement released today.

"The objectives of the initiative are to discover, prevent, and cut short the illegal trade and illegal trans-border movement of WMD-related materials and delivery means, including black markets for such materials.

"This makes the PSI a potentially useful mechanism for countering the threat of the proliferation of WMD, including its new dimension the possibility of acquisition of WMD by terrorists," it further said.

Proposed by US President Bush in Warsaw last year during a meeting of diplomats, the Initiative allows for seizure of missiles and components of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) while they are being transferred at sea or in the air. Russian foreign office said the PSI principles, as set forth by the core participants in their Paris Declaration in September 2003, conformed to Moscow's line on non-proliferation.

According to Moscow, International interaction in such matters fits into the framework of UN Security Council Resolution 1540, which, among other things, calls for cooperation in counteracting WMD black markets.

However, it regards the PSI as a supplement, and not an alternative to existing non-proliferation mechanisms, Russian foreign ministry underscored.