Tokyo Oct 22: US attorney general John Ashcroft today said that Washington and Tokyo were making progress in negotiating a treaty to hasten the exchange of information in legal cases, including the prosecution of terrorists. Ending a two-day visit to Japan, Ashcroft, the top law enforcement official in the United States, said: "I think each of our nations can benefit from the sort of protocol that provides assistance to each country in the event of criminal matters including terrorism."
The Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty (MLAT) would allow US and Japanese authorities to pool information in criminal enquiries without having to go through the normal diplomatic channels.
The treaty would provide guidelines for regular procedures to make it easier for prosecutors to share evidence and exchange information, said Ashcroft, who met with chief cabinet secretary Yasuo Fukuda, foreign minister Yoriko Kawaguchi and justice minister Mayumi Moriyama. If concluded, the MLAT would be the first such agreement for Japan with another country. Ashcroft said the United States already had similar accords with about 40 countries.
"The United States and Japan agree that the most important, precise response to terrorism and other types of international criminal activity is a strong, effective, mutually-cooperative relationship," Ashcroft said.
"This is an international problem that requires a close working relationship. The best friend of information is prevention and the best friend of information is cooperation, coordination and collaboration," he added, emphasising that prevention was just as important as prosecution. Bureau Report