    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush (2006, Book II)]
    [September 29, 2006]
    [Pages 1740-1741]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Message to the Senate Transmitting the Latvia-United States Extradition
    Treaty
    September 29, 2006

    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 Government of the Republic of Latvia,
    signed on December 7, 2005, at Riga. I also transmit, for the
    information of the Senate, the report of the Department of State with
    respect to the treaty.
        The new extradition treaty with Latvia would replace the outdated
    extradition treaty between the United States and Latvia, signed on
    October 16, 1923, at Riga, and the Supplementary Extradition Treaty,
    signed on October 10, 1934, at Washington. The treaty also fulfills the
    requirement for a bilateral instrument between the United States and
    each European Union (EU) Member State in order to implement the
    Extradition Agreement between the United States and the EU. Two other
    comprehensive new extradition treaties with EU Member States--Estonia
    and Malta--likewise also serve as the requisite bilateral instruments
    pursuant to the U.S.-EU Agreement, and therefore also are being
    submitted separately and individually.
        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 and other newer offenses not appearing on the

    [[Page 1741]]

    list. The treaty also contains a modernized ``political offense''
    clause. It further provides that extradition shall not be refused based
    on the nationality of the person sought; in the past, Latvia has
    declined to extradite its nationals to the United States. A national who
    has been convicted in the courts of the other Party may request to be
    allowed to serve the resulting sentence in his state of nationality.
    Finally, the new treaty incorporates a series of procedural improvements
    to streamline and speed the extradition process.
        I recommend that the Senate give early and favorable consideration
    to the treaty.

                                                              George W. Bush

     The White House,

     September 29, 2006.

    Note: This message was released by the Office of the Press Secretary on
    October 2.