Agreement between

the Government of the Republic of Latvia, the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the creation of a common educational space in higher education within the Baltic States

The Government of the Republic of Latvia, the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania — "Contracting Parties",

on the basis of friendly relations among the three states,

seeking to ensure for students of the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Lithuania, hereafter "Baltic States" , wider opportunities for studying and carrying out research in state–recognised higher education institutions of the Baltic States,

desiring to increase the mobility of the Baltic people,

have agreed upon the following:

Article 1

The subjects of this Agreement are students pursuing studies to obtain higher education (including Doctoral degree) in state–recognised higher education institutions of the Baltic States.

Article 2

Students of the Contracting Parties shall study in higher education institutions of the other Baltic States on the same conditions of study financing as the students of their own country.

Article 3

The Contracting Parties shall grant scholarships and benefits to students of other Baltic States in the same order as to the students of their own country pursuant to the national legislative acts in force. The Contracting Parties undertake to provide the students of their states with the right to receive study loans for studies in another Baltic State.

Article 4

The Contracting Parties shall recognise documented periods of practical placement undertaken in a Baltic state other than that of the acquisition of the higher education.

Article 5

The Contracting Parties shall inform the inhabitants of their own country on the opportunities, provided by this Agreement, to acquire partial or full higher education in other Baltic countries.

Article 6

The Contracting Parties shall monitor the implementation of this Agreement and in case of necessity make changes and/or amendments. For this purpose the Contracting Parties shall establish an Advisory Committee which shall develop recommendations for changes and/or amendments to the Agreement and deal with all matters pertaining to implementation of the Agreement. The Ministry responsible for education of the state of each Contracting Party shall appoint one representative to the Advisory Committee. The Committee shall provide the information on implementation of the Agreement and co–operate with the responsible ministers or their authorised representatives and with the Baltic Higher Education Co–ordination Committee. The Advisory Committee shall meet annually, deciding on the place of the meeting separately each time. The Contracting Parties shall be entitled to develop legal acts for the enforcement of this Agreement.

Article 7

This Agreement shall enter into force on the thirtieth day after the date when the last Contracting Party notifies of the completion of all the necessary constitutional procedure for the Agreement to enter into force in its country.

Article 8

The Agreement shall remain in force for five (5) years and shall be automatically renewed for subsequent periods of five (5) years, unless one of the Contracting Parties six month prior to the date of expiry of the relevant, notifies the other Contracting Parties in writing of its intention to terminate the Agreement. Any changes and/or amendments to the Agreement shall be effected according to the above procedure of entering into force.

Article 9

Students studying at the higher education institutions of other Parties at the time of the termination of the Agreement shall be entitled to complete their studies or the research period at the same institution and under the same conditions as during the validity of the Agreement.

The Agreement is drawn in triplicate, each in the Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian and English languages. All the texts are authentic. In case of divergence, the English text shall prevail.

Signed in Kretinga, 8 December, 2000.

For the Government For the Government For the Government

of the Republic of Latvia of the Republic of Estonia of the Republic of Lithuania

Minister of Education Deputy Secretary-General Minister of Education

and Science on International Co-operation and Science

and Eurointegration

Kārlis Greiškalns Madis Lepajoe Aļgirdas Monkevičius