[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 14]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 20212]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




HONORING THE RATIFICATION OF ``THE U.S.-CYPRUS MUTUAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE 
                                TREATY''

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. GEORGE W. GEKAS

                            of pennsylvania

                    in the house of representatives

                       Wednesday, October 9, 2002

  Mr. GEKAS. Mr. Speaker, it is my great pleasure to recognize a new 
step in American-Cypriot relations. On September 18, 2002, the United 
States and the Republic of Cyprus ratified ``The U.S.-Cyprus Mutual 
Legal Assistance Treaty'' bringing these two nations even closer 
together to fight the war on terrorism.
  This Treaty provides for many provisions that will fight not just 
global terrorism, but also organized crime and drug trafficking. In 
particular, the Treaty will allow the two countries to more effectively 
coordinate the transfer of persons in custody, execute searches and 
seizures, share documents and intelligence materials, identify persons 
of interest to authorities, and prosecute a wide range of criminal 
offenses.
  The PATRIOT Act, which I worked hard to advance and was passed into 
law late last year, complements this treaty well. The PATRIOT Act 
facilitates cooperation between the United States and foreign 
governments in the areas of information and intelligence sharing. With 
this Treaty now ratified and the PATRIOT Act made into law, the U.S. 
and Cyprus are in an excellent position to put an end to the evil and 
cowardly actions of terrorists everywhere.
  In so many ways this Treaty will help the peoples of the free world 
work together to defeat terrorism. While it may have gone unnoticed, 
this new Treaty adds to the shared mission of the peoples of the 
Republic of Cyprus and the United States. It also builds on efforts 
with which I have been involved. Our Judiciary Committee considered and 
promoted the PATRIOT Act.
  We must mention also the cooperation of the Cypriots' ally, Greece. 
Greece has put the very dangerous November 17th organization out of 
commission. Together Greece and Cyprus are working to crack down on 
terrorist groups.
  Mr. Speaker, today I want to commend the U.S. and Cyprus for reaching 
a new era in diplomatic relations and international cooperation. 
Together, I am confident we can more effectively put a stop to the 
villainous acts of criminals and terrorists around the world.

                          ____________________