press releases 2009
The United States and Bulgaria Modernize the Bilateral Extradition Treaty
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2009
The U.S. Embassy in Sofia is pleased to announce a major step forward to modernize U.S.-Bulgarian law enforcement efforts. Earlier today, Deputy Chief of Mission Alexander Karagiannis and Deputy Foreign Minister Milen Keremedchiev exchanged Instruments of Ratification for the U.S.-Bulgaria Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement and diplomatic notes on the U.S.-Bulgaria Extradition Treaty, and signed the Protocol of Exchange of Instruments marking those steps. By their actions, the Extradition treaty is now in force, replacing the outdated 1924 extradition treaty and 1934 supplementary treaty. As of today, criminals will face extradition for new types of criminal activity, like intellectual property violations and terrorism, that no one ever imagined would exist when the prior treaty was signed.
These agreements form part of a major US-EU law enforcement initiative. Today’s steps make Bulgaria the 12th out of 27 EU member states to exchange instruments of ratification with the United States in order to implement the extradition and mutual legal assistance agreements signed with the European Union in 2003 and the 2007 U.S.–Bulgaria Extradition Treaty and Mutual Legal Assistance Agreement. The implementation of these treaties will benefit both our countries. We will protect citizens, while ensuring the rights of accused offenders, increase cooperation, and bring criminals to justice.