[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 163 (2017), Part 1]
[Senate]
[Page 983]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




 REMOVAL OF INJUNCTION OF SECRECY--TREATY DOCUMENT NOS. 115-1 AND 115-2

  Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, as in executive session, I ask 
unanimous consent that the injunction of secrecy be removed from the 
following treaties transmitted to the Senate on January 17, 2017, by 
the President of the United States: Extradition Treaty with the 
Republic of Serbia, Treaty Document No. 115-1; Extradition Treaty with 
the Government of the Republic of Kosovo, Treaty Document No. 115-2. I 
further ask that the treaties be considered as having been read the 
first time; that they be referred, with accompanying papers, to the 
Committee on Foreign Relations and ordered to be printed; and that the 
President's messages be printed in the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The messages of the President are as follows:

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 Extradition Treaty between the 
United States of America and the Republic of Serbia (the ``Treaty''), 
signed at Belgrade on August 15, 2016. I also transmit, for the 
information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with 
respect to the Treaty.
  The Treaty would replace the Treaty between the United States of 
America and the Kingdom of Servia for the Mutual Extradition of 
Fugitives from Justice, signed October 25, 1901 (the ``1901 Treaty''), 
which applies to the Republic of Serbia as a successor state to the 
former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Treaty follows 
generally the form and content of other extradition treaties recently 
concluded by the United States. It would replace an outmoded list of 
extraditable offenses with a modern ``dual criminality'' approach, 
which would enable extradition for such offenses as money laundering, 
cyber-related crimes, and other newer offenses not appearing on the 
1901 Treaty list. The Treaty also provides that extradition shall not 
be refused based on the nationality of the person sought and contains a 
modernized ``political offense'' clause. Finally, the Treaty 
incorporates a series of procedural improvements to streamline and 
expedite the extradition process.
  I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to 
the Treaty, and give its advice and consent to ratification.
                                                        Barack Obama.  
                                     The White House, January 17, 2017.

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 Extradition Treaty between the 
Government of the United States of America and the Government of the 
Republic of Kosovo (the ``Treaty''), signed at Pristina on March 29, 
2016. I also transmit, for the information of the Senate, the report of 
the Department of State with respect to the Treaty.
  The Treaty would replace the Treaty between the United States of 
America and the Kingdom of Servia for the Mutual Extradition of 
Fugitives from Justice, signed October 25, 1901 (the ``1901 Treaty''), 
which applies to the Republic of Kosovo as a successor state to the 
former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. The Treaty follows 
generally the form and content of other extradition treaties recently 
concluded by the United States. It would replace an outmoded list of 
extraditable offenses with a modern ``dual criminality'' approach, 
which would enable extradition for such offenses as money laundering, 
cyber-related crimes, and other newer offenses not appearing on the 
1901 Treaty list. The Treaty also provides that extradition shall not 
be refused based on the nationality of the person sought and contains a 
modernized ``political offense'' clause. Finally, the Treaty 
incorporates a series of procedural improvements to streamline and 
expedite the extradition process.
  I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration to 
the Treaty, and give its advice and consent to ratification.
                                                        Barack Obama.  
The White House, January 17, 2017.

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