United States, Croatia sign PSI pact

United States, Croatia sign PSI pact    The United States and the Republic of Croatia have signed a reciprocal Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) Shipboarding Agreement, allowing mutual inspections on vessels to deter shipment of weapons of mass destruction.
   'If a U.S.-flag or Croatian-flagged ship is suspected of carrying proliferation-related cargo, either party to this agreement can request the other to confirm the nationality of the ship in question and, if needed, to authorize the boarding, search and possible detention of the vessel and its cargo,' the U.S. State Department said in a statement.
   Croatia is the fourth state, after Liberia, Panama, and the Marshall Islands, to sign a PSI initiative with the United States as part of an effort to implement higher security standards on vessels in flag registries.