[Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents Volume 42, Number 40 (Monday, October 9, 2006)]
[Page 1711]
[Online from the Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

<R04>
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    The new extradition treaty with Latvia would replace the outdated 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 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.