The Assembly,
Having been consulted by the Committee of Ministers on the draft European Convention on mutual assistance in criminal matters (Doc. 869) prepared by a committee of experts set up by the Committee of Ministers ;
Expressing its satisfaction with this achievement in the legal field ;
Considering that under the terms of this Convention the Contracting Parties will afford to each other the widest measure of mutual assistance in proceedings in respect of offences the punishment of which falls within the jurisdiction of the judicial authorities of the requesting Party ;
Considering that mutual assistance in regard to criminal matters is a question related to extradition, which has already formed the subject of a Convention ;
Considering that the new draft Convention will constitute the first multilateral treaty relating to mutual assistance in criminal matters and that it will have great practical value for magistrates in member countries by enabling them to afford each other mutual assistance in the interests both of the administration of justice and of persons appearing before the law,
Recommends to the Committee of Ministers that it should submit the draft Convention to the signature of Member Governments as soon as possible.