[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1997, Book II)]
[July 8, 1997]
[Pages 925-926]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Message to the Senate Transmitting the Luxembourg-United States
Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty With Documentation
July 8, 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 Treaty Between the Government of 
the United States of America and the Government of the Grand Duchy of 
Luxembourg on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters, signed at 
Washington on March 13, 1997, and a related exchange of notes. I 
transmit also, for the information of the Senate, the report of the 
Department of State with respect to the Treaty.
    The Treaty is one of a series of modern mutual legal assistance 
treaties that the United States is negotiating in order to counter 
criminal activity more effectively. The Treaty should be an effective 
tool to assist in the prosecution of a wide variety of modern criminals, 
including those involved in drug trafficking, terrorism, other violent 
crime, and money laundering, fiscal fraud, and other ``white-collar'' 
crime. The Treaty is self-executing.
    The treaty provides for a broad range of cooperation in criminal 
matters. Mutual assistance

[[Page 926]]

available under the Treaty includes: taking testimony or statements of 
persons; providing documents, records, and articles of evidence; 
transferring persons in custody for testimony or other purposes; 
locating or identifying persons and items; serving documents; executing 
requests for searches and seizures; immobilizing assets; assisting in 
proceedings related to forfeiture and restitution; and rendering 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 the Treaty and give its advice and consent to ratification.

                                                      William J. Clinton

The White House,

July 8, 1997.

Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
July 9.