Agreement between the Ministry of National Defence of Romania and the Ministry of Defence of Latvia concerning Cooperation in the Military Field

The Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of National Defence of Romania, hereinafter referred to as “Parties”,

With the purpose of developing bilateral relations based on respect, partnership and mutual interest,

Aiming to strengthen confidence, stability and security in Europe according to the United Nations’ Charter (UN) and the Final Act of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE),

Developing the defence dimension of the European Union (EU) and NATO’s Partnership for Peace Programme,

Aiming to extend contacts between the Ministries of Defence of the both countries and their armed forces,

Have agreed as follows:

Article 1

PURPOSE

The purpose of this Agreement is to ensure necessary legal framework for the co-operation between the Parties in the military field.

Article 2

CO-OPERATION FIELDS

The co-operation between the Parties will be held in the following fields:

a) defence and security policy;

b) military legislation;

c) troops training;

d) military education and personnel training;

e) defence procurement;

f) arms control;

g) protection of information;

h) logistic management;

i) exchange of experience on problems concerning communication information systems (CIS);

j) military financial and accounting system;

k) military economic and technical-scientific activities;

l) military medicine;

m) culture, sport, recreation;

n) exchange of experience in issues connected with peace-support operations and humanitarian operations, also including peacekeeping training;

o) other mutual interest fields.

Article 3

CO-OPERATION FORMS

1. The co-operation between the Parties will be held in the following forms:

a) official visits and work meetings;

b) experience exchanges and consultations;

c) supporting the initiatives in order to promote the industrial co-operation between the companies in the field of defence;

d) providing the exploitation, reparation and modernisation of the military delivered techniques and materials;

e) mutual participation — in exercises;

f) exchange of documentation, scientific projects and licences;

g) participation in conferences and seminars;

h) participation in training studies, training stages and perfecting courses;

i) concerts, exhibitions and other cultural activities.

2. During implementation of the provisions of this Agreement, the Parties may identify new co-operation forms.

Article 4

IMPLEMENTING ARRANGEMENTS

In order to implement the provisions of this Agreement, the Parties may conclude arrangements and specific protocols.

Article 5

ANNUAL PLAN OF CO-OPERATION

1. On the basis of this Agreement, the Parties develop Annual plan of co-operation. Until 15th September of the current year, the Parties will make proposals concerning the Annual plan of co-operation for the next year.

2. Annual plan of co-operation includes the titles of activities, their form , period and place, number of participants and any other aspect of activity, if necessary.

3. When the Annual plan of co-operation is agreed, the authorised representatives of the Parties will sign it until 15th December of the current year.

4. The proposals for the Annual plan of co-operation will be exchanged between the Parties through the military attaches of both states.

5. Annual plan of co-operation may be modified with the Parties’ consent.

Article 6

PROTECTION OF INFORMATION

1.The Parties will ensure the protection of information according to the level of security classification established by the Party providing this information. The Receiving Party is not authorised to declassify or downgrade classification level of the received information.

2.The received information will be used only for the purpose for which it was provided.

3.The Party will not use the information received in the framework of this Agreement against the interests of the Providing Party.

4. The Parties shall respect private rights, as patents, copyrights and trade secrets, which are involved in the exchanged information.

5.The multiplication, transfer or release to a third party of information received during the co-operation will be permitted only with prior written consent of the Providing Party.

Article 7

FINANCIAL ISSUES

1.Costs related with the implementation of the provisions of this Agreement will be covered on a basis of reciprocity.

2.The Receiving Party will cover costs for accommodation, meals and transport on its territory.

3.The Receiving Party will ensure emergency medical and dental care.

4.Costs relating with training of the command staff and specialists in the military education institutions of the Receiving Party, sending of the specialists for the granting of logistic support, serving of the military aircraft in the military airports of the Receiving Party, as well as any kind of costs that may arise following the implementation of the present Agreement, will be covered on a basis of arrangements and/or special contracts.

Article 8

RELATIONS WITH OTHER AGREEMENTS

The provisions of the present Agreement shall not affect rights and obligations of the Parties stemming from other bilateral and multilateral agreements to which they are parties.

Article 9

DISPUTES

Any dispute related with the interpretation or implementation of the provisions of this Agreement will be solved only through consultations between the Parties without referring to any third party for settlement.

Article 10

FINAL PROVISIONS

1. This Agreement will enter into force at the date of the receiving of last written notification by the Parties, by which they confirm that internal legal procedures necessary for its entering into force are completed.

2. This Agreement may be amended any time, in written form, with the consent of the Parties. Amendments will enter into force according to the provisions of paragraph 1 of this Article.

3. This Agreement is concluded for a 5 year-period and will be automatically prolonged for a new 5 year-period, if neither of the Parties will notify, in written form, at least 6 months before the expiring period of validity, about its intention to denounce it.

Signed on 6 November, at Bucharest in two original copies, each in Latvian, Romanian and English languages, all texts being equally authentic.

In case of differences of interpretation the English text will prevail.

For the Ministry of National Defence of Romania

Ioan Mircea Pascu Minister of Defence

For the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Latvia

Ģirts Valdis Kristovskis Minister of Defence