April 30, 1998

TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:

                              THE WHITE HOUSE

                       Office of the Press Secretary

_______________________________________________________________

For Immediate Release                             April 30, 1998



TO THE CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES:


     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 in connection with Condition (7)(C)(i), Effectiveness of
Australia Group, that:

          Australia Group members continue to maintain an equally effective
       or more comprehensive control over the export of toxic chemicals and
       their precursors, dual-use processing equipment, human, animal and
       plant pathogens and toxins with potential biological weapons
       application, and dual-use biological equipment, as that afforded by
       the Australia Group as of April 25, 1997; and

          The Australia Group remains a viable mechanism for limiting the
       spread of chemical and biological weapons-related materials and
       technology, and that the effectiveness of the Australia Group has
       not been undermined by changes in membership, lack of compliance
       with common export controls and nonproliferation measures, or the
       weakening of common controls and nonprolifera-tion measures, in
       force as of April 25, 1997.



                                   WILLIAM J. CLINTON



THE WHITE HOUSE,
    April 29, 1998.



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