Obama backs South Korea non-proliferation move
AFP
WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama lauded South Korea's decision to join a US-backed non-proliferation program on Tuesday, as both nations managed the fallout from a North Korean nuclear test.
"The president welcomes the Republic of Korea's decision today to join the Proliferation Security Initiative," the White House said in a statement -- referring to a program that aims to interdict banned weapons.
South Korea is the 95th country to join the US-led voluntary initiative, which encourages signatories to seize material that could be used for nuclear, chemical or biological weapons.
The program was spear-headed by the administration of former president George W. Bush in 2003, part of efforts to ensure weapons of mass destruction do not fall into the hands of terrorists.
"We look forward to working with the South Korean Government to stop the proliferation of WMD-related materials worldwide and to strengthening the initiative for the future," the statement said.
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