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The new extradition treaty with Latvia would replace the outdated extradition treaty between the United States and Latvia, signed on October 16, 1923, at Riga, and the Supplementary Extradition Treaty, signed on October 10,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.