[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2004, Book I)]
[May 12, 2004]
[Page 860]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Statement on the Panama-United States Proliferation Security Initiative 
Ship-Boarding Agreement
May 12, 2004

    The United States welcomes Panama's signing today of a ship-boarding 
agreement that supports the efforts of the Proliferation Security 
Initiative (PSI) to stop the trade in deadly weapons and materials.
    The agreement establishes streamlined procedures for American 
officials to request and board ships registered to Panama if those ships 
are suspected of carrying weapons of mass destruction, their delivery 
systems, or related materials. More ships sail under the Panamanian flag 
than that of any other nation. This agreement sends a strong signal to 
proliferators that the free nations of the world are determined to 
protect their people and preserve the peace.
    This is the second bilateral ship-boarding agreement signed to 
support PSI. The United States and the Government of Liberia signed a 
similar agreement on February 11, 2004. Together, Panama and Liberia 
account for roughly 30 percent of the world's commercial shipping 
tonnage. We welcome this historic decision by the Government of Panama. 
And we urge other nations with large commercial shipping registries to 
follow the lead of Panama and Liberia to make a stand against 
proliferation.