Hello.

I’m Tom Countryman, the Chair of the 2016 P-S-I mid-level political meeting in Washington, D.C .

The P-S-I, or Proliferation Security Initiative, is a commitment among 105 nations to prevent the spread of weapons of mass destruction and their delivery systems.

Countries that have endorsed the P-S-I cooperate to be prepared to intercept—or disrupt—shipments of WMD-related materials to and from state and non-state actors of proliferation concern, consistent with domestic and international laws.

This 13-year-strong endeavor has met with remarkable success. And President Obama has made it an important part of his agenda to ensure terrorists never acquire a nuclear weapon.

The United States is honored to host this meeting, where we will work to strengthen barriers to proliferation.

Find out more about the P-S-I at state.gov, or follow me on twitter.