FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(August 17, 2004)

The Republic of the Marshall Islands announced today a major initiative to combat international terrorism and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. As part of the international war on terrorism, the Republic signed a bilateral Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) Agreement with the United States of America. Foreign Minister Gerald Zackios signed on behalf of the Marshall Islands on Friday, 13 August 2004 in Honolulu and Deputy Assistant Secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs Randy Schriver signed on behalf of the United States (U.S.).

The U.S. Department of State describes the Shipboarding Agreement as follows:

“Shipboarding Agreements are tangible examples of nonproliferation cooperation, providing authority on a bilateral basis to board sea vessels suspected of carrying illicit shipments of weapons of mass destruction, their delivery systems, or related materials. These agreements will facilitate bilateral cooperation to prevent such shipments by establishing procedures to board and search such vessels in international waters. Under the agreements, if a vessel registered in the U.S. or the partner country is suspected of carrying proliferation-related cargo, either one of the Parties to this agreement can request of the other to confirm the nationality of the ship in question and, if needed, authorize the boarding, search, and possible detention of the vessel and its cargo. These agreements are important steps in further operationalizing the PSI and strengthening the mechanisms that we have at our disposal to interdict suspect weapons of mass destruction-related cargoes. They are modeled after similar arrangements that exist in the counter-narcotics arena.”

Minister Zackios remarked that, “we in the Marshall Islands have always taken our international obligations seriously. International Registries, Inc. (IRI) which administers our ship registry has worked diligently to make sure our fleet complies with the new International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code. The PSI agreement that I have just signed is another major step forward in our contribution to making the world a more secure place. We are honored to participate in this bilateral agreement with the U.S.”

The Marshall Islands is currently the ninth largest and fastest growing shipping registry in the world with over 720 vessels and a combined gross tonnage (gt) exceeding 22 million. The ISPS Code entered into force on 1 July 2004 and during the period 1-19 July 2004 the US Coast Guard examined 34 Marshall Islands flag ships visiting US ports as part of its overall ISPS Code enforcement program. The Coast Guard took no control action against any of the Marshall Islands vessels, as all were found to be fully Code-compliant.

On 17 June 2004, two weeks before the ISPS Code deadline, IRI was able to report that 98 percent of the Marshall Islands flag ships, to which the ISPS Code was applicable, were in possession of approved Ship Security Plans (SSPs). This high rate of approved SSPs helped to ensure that the Marshall Islands fleet would achieve the virtual 100 percent compliance with the ISPS Code and the issuance of International Ship Security Certificates (ISSCs) actually reached by the 1 July 2004 entry-into-force date.

In recent weeks IRI has received a number of personal letters from shipowners and managers thanking the Administration for its invaluable assistance in the ISPS Code implementation process. “Without the professionalism and extreme dedication of the staff within the Marshall Islands Administration,” wrote one ship manager, “our impressive accomplishment in beating the ISPS deadline would never have been achieved.”

William Gallagher, President of IRI, echoed Minister Zackios’ remarks concerning the PSI Agreement and compliance with the ISPS Code and said, “that as we speak we are providing details to owners and operators of Marshall Islands vessels concerning this initiative. This is another step in creating a maritime security culture within the fleet.”

For additional information on the Proliferation Security Initiative visit: www.state.gov/t/np/c10390.htm