U.S. diplomat to visit S. Korea for anti-proliferation meeting

By Byun Duk-kun

WASHINGTON, May 26 (Yonhap) -- U.S. Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs Bonnie Jenkins will travel to South Korea next week to take part in an international meeting on anti-proliferation efforts, the state department said Friday.

Jenkins will visit South Korea from Monday through Friday, leading the U.S. delegation to the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) High-Level Political Meeting (HLPM), according to the department.

"At the HLPM, Under Secretary Jenkins will deliver the U.S. National Statement, hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from participating states, and attend a multilateral maritime interdiction exercise that demonstrates regional counterproliferation capabilities at sea," it said in a press release.

The PSI is a global initiative launched in 2003 that aims to interdict transfers of weapons of mass destruction to and from states and non-state actors of proliferation concern.

Seoul earlier said the high-level meeting of the PSI will be held Tuesday on the southern resort island of Jeju, attended by officials from some 70 countries.

At the meeting, Jenkins will reaffirm U.S. commitment to "strengthen and expand the PSI," the department said.

"The under secretary will also attend bilateral meetings with ROK counterparts in Seoul," it added, referring to South Korea by its official name, the Republic of Korea.

bdk@yna.co.kr
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