ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA AND THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE CZECH REPUBLIC ON CO-OPERATION IN THE FIELD OF MILITARY GEOGRAPHY

 

Preamble

Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and Ministry of Defence

of the Czech Republic, hereinafter referred to as the “Parties”,

Desiring to extend their co-operation in the field of military geography in accordance with Para 11 Article 3 of the Arrangement Between the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia on Mutual Co-operation, signed in Prague on 29 November 1993,

Have agreed as follows:

Article 1
Purpose

The purpose of this Arrangement is to set down the forms, principles and rules of co-operation between the Parties in the field of military geography. Military geography is defined for the purposes of this Arrangement as scientific, research, development, production and support activities within the armed forces or for their benefit in the fields such as: geodesy and geophysics, geography, topography, cartography, photogrammetry and remote sensing, geographic information systems, cartographic-reproduction, and in the other fields related to the information on the Earth surface and its influence on the military activities.

Article 2
Executive Bodies

On behalf of the Latvian side, the Arrangement will be executed by the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and on behalf of the Czech side by the Geographic Service of the Army of the Czech Republic.

Article 3
Areas of Co-operation

1. The Parties will co-operate particularly in the following areas:

a) Mutual exchange of military geo­graphic products, geodetic, geomagnetic and gravimetric data, software and their utilisation (hereinafter referred to as the “Products”) as may be specified in the Technical Annexes to this Arrangement;

b) Exchange of other technical documents, specifications, materials and services;

c) Providing of information on respective production and possibilities of its exchange;

d) Organising short-term visits and training courses on new technologies for specialists;

e) Exchange of specialists;

f) Participation in symposiums and workshops organised by the Parties;

g) Co-production and common research and development projects, especially aimed on global geodesy and geophysics and geographic information system.

2. Exchange of products will be carried out either on routine basis or
on request and will be free of charge. Products named in the Technical Annexes, but not available currently, will be carried out when produced.

3. Products requested for military exercises are not part of the exchange of products according to this Arrangement and their furnishing will be decided on case-by-case basis.

Article 4
Principles

1. The Parties will mutually co-operate in the fields of common interest based on their technical, personnel, financial or other capabilities.

2. Deliveries of products are carried out upon providing Party approval and without delay.

3. The Parties will seek mutually balanced co-operation. To ensure this regular evaluation of co-operation between the Parties will take place.

4. The evaluation will be based on the principle of accounting balance as stated in Articles 8 and 9 of this Arrangement. Only exchange on request shall be included to this accounting balance.

5. The exchange and handling of classified information shall respect the Arrangement Between the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia concerning Classified Military Information Protection, signed in Prague on 10 May 1999.

6. Realisation of co-production and common research and development projects of the Parties shall be subject to principles set down in the Arrangement Between the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia Regarding Exchange of Data and Co-operation in Defence Research and Development, signed in Prague on 31 March 1999.

7. Only products, to which the providing Party has the proprietary rights or copyrights and furnishing of which is not otherwise limited, can be provided according to this Arrangement.

8. Data formats and media for digital products transfer will be mutually agreed upon by the Executive Bodies. Written information will be provided in the English language or in the providing Party’s language unless otherwise specified by the Executive Bodies.

Article 5
Technical Annexes

1. The Executive Bodies may conclude Technical Annexes to specify details of co-operation under this Arrangement.

2. Technical Annexes do not form an integral part of this Arrangement and are of technical and administrative nature only. They shall not include any provisions being in contradiction to this Arrangement.

3. Technical Annexes enter into force on the date of their signature.

4. Technical Annexes may be modified or amended in writing by mutual agreement of the Executive Bodies.

5. Technical Annexes shall be terminated after termination of this Arrangement, after expiration of the period for which the Technical Annexes have been concluded, after denunciation of the Technical Annexes by either Party in writing or by mutual agreement of the Parties in writing.

Article 6
Mutual Obligations

1. Parties shall be responsible for protection of proprietary rights and copyrights, for abidance of restrictions to utilisation or reproduction of products or derived information.

2. Neither Party will transfer to a Third Party by any way the products provided by the other Party or results of co-production of the Parties pursuant to this Arrangement without a written consent of the other Party.

3. The Parties will not use nor agree with the utilisation of provided or co-produced products and/or their sources for other purposes than those approved by the other Party in advance in writing.

4. The Party providing the other Party’s products to a Third Party will be solely responsible for authorisation and implementation of such transfer including protection of provided products and information contained in these products.

Article 7
Products Delivery

1. All products delivered under this Arrangement, shall be accompanied by the delivery documents clearly identifying content of each consignment including the type of exchange – whether this is on routine basis or on request.

2. The delivery documents will be made in duplicate, attached to the consignment and sent directly to the official address of the respective Executive Body. One copy of the delivery document shall be confirmed by the receiving Party and sent back to the forwarding Party as a confirmation of delivery.

3. Requests for products delivery shall be forwarded directly to the Executive Bodies.

4. All mailing and transportation costs shall be borne by the forwarding Party.

5. Custom duties, import and export taxes, and other corresponding charges shall be administered in accordance with national laws and regulations of the respective Party’s State.

Article 8
Standard Map Unit

1. To set down the co-operation accounting balance, the “Standard Map Unit” (hereinafter referred to as the “SMU”) is being introduced. SMU serves only for internal and administrative purposes of the co-operation between the Parties and as a cost unit. SMU may be expressed by its financial value.

2. SMU is defined as one copy of a five-coloured topographic map sheet at size of 56 x 76 cm.

3. To convert products on SMU, the following applies:

a. 1 hard copy of large sized map sheet – i.e. ONCs, TPCs, LFCs, and other air navigation charts = 3 SMU,

b. 1 hard copy of medium sized map sheet – JOGs 1501-GROUND, 1501-AIR, topographic maps, town/city plans = 1 SMU,

c. 1 hard copy of TFC (L) map sheet = 1.5 SMU.

4. SMU conversion ratio for digital geographic products and related specifications and technical publications, other materials and services, and products not listed in Para 3 of this Article, will be determined in writing by mutual agreement of the Executive Bodies.

5. Financial value of SMU will be determined in writing by mutual agreement of the Executive Bodies. The above-mentioned financial value is set up for accounting purposes and can be changed upon mutual agreement.

6. Amount of SMUs shall be stated in the delivery documents of each consignment prepared in accordance with Para 2 Article 7 of this Arrangement.

Article 9
Balance of Mutual Co-operation

1. Balance of mutual co-operation according to this Arrangement shall be evaluated by each Party once a year by 31 December of the current year and sent as a letter to the other Party by 31 March of the following year. The letters will contain the lists of provided and received products, materials and services within the exchange on request (hereinafter referred to as the “List”).

2. The transferred Lists shall be checked by each Executive Body and mutually agreed on in writing.

3. If any Party does not consider the balance of mutual co-operation as equal, the Executive Bodies shall agree on compensation in form of providing further products, specifications and technical documents, materials and services to the Party, which provided more products, materials or services. The compensation shall be carried out in the terms agreed on and directly between the Executive Bodies.

4. Upon mutual consent of the Executive Bodies, the compensation of inequity may be transferred to the next calendar year.

5. In case of termination of this Arrangement, the final balance of the mutual co-operation as of the Arrangement termination date shall be an integral part of the Termination Protocol of this Arrangement. Eventual compensation of inequity shall be subject to Para 3 of this Article.

6. For information purposes solely, the letters exchanged under para. 1 above will also contain lists of provided and received products, materials and services within the exchange on routine basis. This exchange will not be subject of evaluation under this article.

Article 10
Claims

Claims arisen within execution of this Arrangement and its Technical Annexes shall be solved in accordance with Article VIII of the Agreement Between Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty Regarding the Status of Their Forces, done in London on 19 June 1951.

Article 11
Disputes

Any disputes related to the interpretation and execution of this Arrangement and its Technical Annexes shall be solved immediately by direct consultation between the Executive Bodies. If the Executive Bodies are not able to find a consensus they will submit the dispute to the Parties. The disputes between the Parties shall be solved by consultation. 

Article 12
Final Provisions

1. This Arrangement consists of 12 Articles. It will enter into force upon the date of its signature by both Parties.

2. This Arrangement is being concluded for an undetermined period of time.

3. Either Party may denounce this Arrangement in writing. This denunciation enters into force six (6) months after the date of delivery of the written notification denunciation to the other Party.

4. This Arrangement may be modified or amended upon mutual consent of the Parties in writing.

5. In case of termination of this Arrangement, Parties will prepare Termination Protocol of Arrangement on mutually agreed procedures to satisfy uncompleted obligations arising during the period the Arrangement was in force. This Protocol shall remain valid for an undetermined period unless otherwise specified by the Parties.

6. Obligations and liabilities of the Parties stated in Article 6 of this Arrangement remain valid even after termination of this Arrangement, unless otherwise specified by the Parties in writing.

Done in duplicate, in the English language.

 

For the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia

In Riga on 7, December 2006

Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs State Secretary
 

 

For the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic

In Prague on 6 December 2006

Col. Pavel Skala Head of GEOS

 

Technical Annex A

TOPOGRAPHIC AND SPECIAL MAPS AND RELATED DATA

I. EXCHANGE

A. On Routine Basis

1. The Parties have agreed to exchange upon routine basis the archival copies of the newest edition of the following products:

– 4 copies of maps for Joint Operations Graphic Series 1501 and Series 1501-AIR;

– 4 copies of topographic maps 1 : 50 000;

– 10 copies of TFC (L) 2nd 1 : 250 000, if produced;

– 25 copies of LFC and TPC 1 : 500 000, if produced;

– 4 copies of maps of military training areas 1 : 50 000;

– 4 copies of road maps, if produced;

– 4 copies of city plans, if produced;

– 3 copies of specifications and technical publications related to the above listed products;

– 2 copies of catalogues of products (preferentially in digital form);

– 2 copies of products for navigation and air traffic safety,

– 2 copies of Information on Parties’ production plans at least once a year (e.g. GEOSTAR);

– 1 copy of military geographic information documentation.

2. In case that some of the above listed map products are not available, e.g. they have not been produced yet; they may be substituted with the same number of equivalents, if available. Otherwise, these products or their equivalents will be provided when produced.

3. The exchange on routine basis shall be carried out without delay but not later than two months after publishing of the new edition of these products.

 

B. On Request

Products, not listed in Section I.A of this Technical Annex or additional copies of products listed in Section I.A of this Technical Annex, may be provided on request, namely:

– Maps necessary for planning, preparation and activities of military units of the Parties,

– Sets of stable base reproduction materials for the maps listed in Section I.A of this Technical Annex including determination of their purpose and utilisation,

– Geodetic and geophysical data,

– Gazetteers,

– Specifications and technical documents to the required products.

II. TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Technical support including essential training and education of specialists intended to work on common projects shall be provided on request of either Party. Terms and conditions of this technical support will be mutually negotiated and agreed upon by the representatives of the Executive Bodies.

III. COMMON PROJECTS

1. Common projects of the Parties will be subject to negotiation of the representatives of the Executive Bodies.

2. Each common project shall be specified in writing and agreed upon by the representatives of the Executive Bodies.

IV. SHIPMENT OF PRODUCTS

Following addresses will be used to deliver Products:

 

The Czech Republic

Vojenský geografický a hydrometeorologický úŕad

Čs.odboje 676

518 16 Dobruška

Czech Republic

Tel: +420 973 257 836

Fax:+420 973 257 757

Email: vghur@vghur.army.cz

 

The Republic of Latvia

Geographic Information Branch, J-2

Joint Staff of the National Armed Forces

Kr.Valdemāra iela 10/12, Riga

LV-1473, LATVIA

Tel: +371 7 071820, 7 071821

Fax:+371 7 071822

Email: janis.dreimanis@mil.lv,

gatis.blumbergs@mil.lv

 

For the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia

In Riga on 7, December 2006

Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs State Secretary
 

 

For the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic

In Prague on 6 December 2006

Col. Pavel Skala Head of GEOS

Technical Annex B

DIGITAL GEOGRAPHIC PRODUCTS AND RELATED DATA

I. EXCHANGE

A. Copies of Digital Geographic Products

1. The Parties have agreed to provide each other on request with digital geospatial information (matrix or raster). Each exchange is a subject to a written request and it is the providing Executive Body’s right to decide whether the particular digital geospatial information will be provided.

2. The Parties have agreed that their analogue products may be scanned by the other Party’s Executive Body for its own usage upon the written approval of the providing Executive Body. The request shall include the intended use and the number of copies to be printed of the so created products. Any commercial usage is not permitted.

 

B. Specifications and Technical Documents

1. Either Party will furnish the other Party on request the copies of specifications and technical documents related to both provided and co-produced digital geographic products. The copies provided will be preferably in English, if not available, in the language of the providing Party.

 

C. Application Software

1. To provide each other on request one copy of each application software and its upgrades (higher version/generation) suitable for digital products necessary for common projects.

2. Providing Party is not obliged to provide the other one the application-software source code unless otherwise agreed upon by the representatives of the Executive Bodies in writing.

3. It is forbidden to decode the provided application software in order to gain the source code and/or to copy the application software without previous written approval of the providing Party.

4. In case of necessity to modify the provided application software, the receiving Party shall ask the providing Party for a written approval; a project of such modifications shall be mutually co-ordinated by the Parties.

II. TECHNICAL SUPPORT

Technical support including essential training and education of specialists intended to work on common projects shall be provided on request of either Party. Terms and conditions of this technical support will be mutually negotiated and agreed upon by the representatives of the Executive Bodies.

III. COMMON PROJECTS

1. Common projects of the Parties will be subject to negotiation of the representatives of the Executive Bodies.

2. Common projects will especially be focused on global geodesy, geophysics and geographic information system as well as on other methods of remote sensing in relation with the needs of military geography. Each common project shall be specified in writing and agreed upon by the representatives of the Executive Bodies.

IV. SHIPMENT OF PRODUCTS

Following addresses will be used to deliver Products:

 

The Czech Republic

Vojenský geografický a hydrometeorologický úŕad

Čs.odboje 676

518 16 Dobruška

Czech Republic

Tel: +420 973 257 836

Fax:+420 973 257 757

Email: vghur@vghur.army.cz

 

The Republic of Latvia

Geographic Information Branch, J-2

Joint Staff of the National Armed Forces

Kr.Valdemāra iela 10/12, Riga

LV-1473, LATVIA

Tel: +371 7 071820, 7 071821

Fax:+371 7 071822

Email: janis.dreimanis@mil.lv,

gatis.blumbergs@mil.lv

 

For the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia

In Riga on 7 December 2006

Mr. Edgars Rinkēvičs State Secretary

 

For the Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic

In Prague on 6 December 2006

Col. Pavel Skala Head of GEOS