THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

                  TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
             TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
         AND CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE

                            January 13, 2000

Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. Chairman:)

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 that:

     In connection with Condition (9), Protection of Advanced
     Biotechnology, the legitimate commercial activities and interests
     of chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical firms in the United
     States are not being significantly harmed by the limitations of the
     Convention on access to, and production of, those chemicals and
     toxins listed in Schedule 1 of the Annex on Chemicals.

                            Sincerely,

WILLIAM J. CLINTON

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