Agreement Between The Government Of The Republic Of Latvia And The Government Of The Republic Of Lithuania On Co-operation In Maritime And Aeronautical Search And Rescue

The Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as the "Contracting Parties"),

Bearing in mind the provisions of the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue, 1979 (hereinafter referred to as the "SAR Convention") as well as the provisions of the Annex 12 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, 1944 (hereinafter referred to as the "Chicago Convention"),

Conscious of the great importance of the rendering of assistance to persons in distress on or over land and at sea, also the establishment by the Contracting Parties of adequate and effective arrangements for search and rescue services,

Have agreed as follows:

Article 1

For the purpose of this Agreement the definitions contained in Chapter 1 of the Annex to the SAR Convention and Chapter 1 of the Annex 12 to the Chicago Convention shall be applied.

Article 2

1. Each Contracting Party ensures that within their responsible authorities and/or organizations there are services responsible for maritime and aeronautical search and rescue (hereinafter referred to as the "SAR-services") which are ready to provide assistance in their search and rescue regions.

2. The boundary between the search and rescue regions of the Contracting Parties is identical with the boundary between their Flight Information Regions (FIR), established in accordance with Annex 12 to the Chicago Convention.

3. The establishment of such boundaries between search and rescue regions does not have any effect on the establishment of any other boundary between the States of the Contracting Parties.

Article 3

1. The authorities and/or organizations of the Contracting Parties responsible for co-operation in search and rescue regions are listed in the Attachment to this Agreement.

2. In case of any of the authorities and/or organizations listed in the Attachment to this Agreement is changed, the name of the new authority will be notified to the other Contracting Party through diplomatic channels.

Article 4

The responsible authorities and/or organizations of the Contracting Parties shall work out and sign an Operational Agreement for co-operation in practical implementation of this Agreement. This cooperation includes, inter alia, joint search and rescue training, regular checks of intergovernmental communication channels, visits of search and rescue experts to search and rescue regions in order to keep up mutual relations as well as exchange of search and rescue information and experience.

Article 5

Search and rescue operations in and over territorial sea, internal waters and land of either Contracting Party shall be conducted according to the national law of the respective Contracting Party.

Article 6

1. If the SAR-service of a Contracting Party receives information to the effect that human life is, or is believed to be, in danger within that Contracting Party's search and rescue region, that service shall without delay take all necessary search and rescue measures.

2. If the SAR-service of a Contracting Party receives information to the effect that human life is, or is believed to be, in danger within other Contracting Party's search and rescue region, that service shall without delay inform the SAR-service of the other Contracting Party.

3. If one Contracting Party considers assistance from the SAR-service of the other Contracting Party necessary in order to better carry out the tasks set out in paragraph 1 of this Article, it may request such assistance. The SAR-service that has received such a request shall render assistance to the best of its abilities. In such a case, further measures shall be taken in co-operation between the SAR-services of the two Contracting Parties.

4. Assistance shall be rendered to any person in danger, or believed to be in danger, within a Contracting Party's search and rescue region, regardless of the nationality or status of such a person or the circumstances in which that person is found.

5. If human life is, or is believed to be, in danger, on border of search and rescue regions of Contracting Parties or close to this border, the relevant SAR-services shall agree upon the co-ordinator of search and rescue operations.

Article 7

The relevant authorities of the Contracting Parties shall inform each other of the rescue of survivors or the retrieval of the bodies of deceased persons who are believed to have held citizenship or to be residents of the other Contracting Party. The information shall be provided without delay and shall, as far as possible, include surname, first name, date of birth, home address, as well as details about the state of health and the whereabouts of the rescued person or the place where the body of the deceased is retained.

Article 8

Each Contracting Party shall bear its own expenses incurred in its participation in search and rescue operations.

Article 9

Nothing contained in this Agreement shall prejudice in any way the rights and obligations of either Contracting Party which arise from other international treaties concluded by the Contracting Parties.

Article 10

1. This Agreement shall enter into force thirty (30) days after both Contracting Parties will inform each other in written that all requirements of national law necessary for this Agreement to enter into force have been completed in their respective countries.

2. This Agreement is concluded for an unlimited period and it may be denounced by either Contracting Party by giving a written notice through the diplomatic channels to the other Contracting Party. The denunciation will enter into force six (6) months after such a notice is received.

In witness whereof the undersigned, being duly authorized by their respective Governments, have signed the present Agreement.

Done at Palanga on the 8th September 2000, in two originals, each in the Latvian, Lithuanian and English languages, all texts being equally authentic. In the event of any disagreement in the interpretation, the English text shall prevail.

For the Government of For the Government of

the Republic of Latvia: the Republic of Lithuania:

Anatolijs Gorbunovs, Rimantas Didžiokas,

Minister of Transport Minister of Transport

and Communications and Communications

Attachment

Responsible authorities and/or organizations of the Contracting Parties

Responsible authorities and/or organizations of the Contracting Parties for the search and rescue are: