THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

In accordance with the resolution of advice and consent to ratification of the Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on Their Destruction, adopted by the Senate of the United States on April 24, 1997, I hereby certify in connection with Condition (7)(C)(i), Effectiveness of Australia Group, that:

          Australia Group members continue to maintain an equally 
       effective or more comprehensive control over the export of 
       toxic chemicals and their precursors, dual-use processing 
       equipment, human, animal and plant pathogens and toxins with 
       potential biological weapons application, and dual-use 
       biological equipment, as that afforded by the Australia Group 
       as of April 25, 1997; and

          The Australia Group remains a viable mechanism for limiting 
       the spread of chemical and biological weapons-related materials 
       and technology, and that the effectiveness of the Australia 
       Group has not been undermined by changes in membership, lack of 
       compliance with common export controls and nonproliferation 
       measures, or the weakening of common controls and 
       nonproliferation measures, in force as of April 25, 1997.

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

                                   THE WHITE HOUSE,
                                   April 29, 1998.

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