[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (1999, Book II)]
[December 22, 1999]
[Page 2339]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Letter to Congressional Leaders Transmitting a Report on Chemical 
Weapons
December 22, 1999

Dear Mr. Speaker:  (Dear Mr. President:)
    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 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.
        Sincerely,

                                                      William J. Clinton

Note: Identical letters were sent to J. Dennis Hastert, Speaker of the 
House of Representatives, and Albert Gore, Jr., President of the Senate. 
This letter was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on 
December 23.