View Header

THE WHITE HOUSE

                       Office of the Press Secretary
                     (Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts)
________________________________________________________________________
For Immediate Release                                  September 4, 1997

TO THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES:

With a view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to ratification, I transmit herewith the Treaties Between the Government of the United States of America and the governments of four countries comprising the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States. The Treaties are with: Antigua and Barbuda, signed at St. John's on October 31, 1996; Dominica, signed at Roseau on October 10, 1996; Grenada, signed at St. George's on May 30, 1996; St. Lucia, signed at Castries on April 18, 1996. I transmit also, for the information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with respect to the Treaties.

The Treaties are part of a series of modern mutual legal assistance treaties being negotiated by the United States in order to counter criminal activity more effectively. They should be an effective tool to assist in the prosecution of a wide variety of crimes, including "white-collar" crime and drug trafficking offenses. The Treaties are self-executing.

The Treaties provide for a broad range of cooperation in criminal matters. Mutual assistance available under the Treaties includes: taking of testimony or statements of persons; providing documents, records, and articles of evidence; serving documents; locating or identifying persons or items; transferring persons in custody for testimony or other purposes; executing requests for searches and seizures; assisting in proceedings related to forfeiture of assets, restitution to the victims of crime, and collection of fines; and any other form of assistance not prohibited by the laws of the Requested State.

I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to these Treaties and give its advice and consent to ratification.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

      THE WHITE HOUSE,
      September 3, 1997.