31 December 1997
(Certifies that pact not harming U.S. drug firm business) (280) Washington -- President Clinton has certified to Congress that the international convention banning the development, production and use of chemical weapons is not harming "the legitimate commercial activities and interests of chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical firms in the United States." The letter, sent to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on December 31, fulfills a resolution regarding the protection of advanced biotechnology adopted by the Senate when it advised and consented to ratification of the Chemical Weapons Convention on April 24, 1997. Following is the White House text: THE WHITE HOUSE Office of the Press Secretary (Hilton Head, South Carolina) December 31, 1997 TEXT OF A LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES AND THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN RELATIONS December 31, 1997 Dear Mr. Speaker: (Dear Mr. Chairman:) 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 that: In connection with Condition (9), Protection of Advanced Biotechnology, the legitimate commercial activities and interests of chemical, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical firms in the United States are not being significantly harmed by the limitations of the Convention on access to, and production of, those chemicals and toxins listed in Schedule 1 of the Annex on Chemicals. Sincerely, WILLIAM J. CLINTON (end text)