RABAT, February 2. /TASS/. Benin, Ghana, Zambia, Togo and Equatorial Guinea have formally joined the Security Initiative against the Proliferation of Weapons of Mass Destruction, or the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), Maghreb Arab Press reports.

The move was made at a meeting aimed at promoting the initiative in African countries, which took place in Morocco’s capital of Marrakesh. That said, the number of African members in the initiative has grown to 11. In addition, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Malawi and Nigeria expressed readiness to join the platform in the near future.

The Marrakesh meeting, held by the Moroccan and US authorities from January 31 to February 2, involved delegations from 25 African nations.

The PSI was initiated by the United States in 2003. Russia joined the initiative in 2004 but suspended its participation in 2022. Since its establishment, the PSI has proven to be a valuable tool in preventing the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly by thwarting trafficking at sea, on land and in the air. Member states exchange intelligence and take pre-emptive measures to keep nuclear materials and missile technology from falling into criminal hands.