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Skriven 2006-10-02 23:32:14 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0610029) for Mon, 2006 Oct 2
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Message to the Senate of the United States
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For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
October 2, 2006

Message 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 Estonia, signed on
February 8, 2006, at Tallinn. 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The new extradition treaty with Estonia would replace the outdated
extradition treaty between the United States and Estonia, signed on
November 8, 1923, at Tallinn, 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 Latvia 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, Estonia has declined to extradite its nationals
to the United States. 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.

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