AGREEMENT ON CULTURAL COOPERATION BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL

The Government of the Republic of Latvia

and

The Government of the Federative Republic of Brazil

(hereinafter referred to as the "Parties"),

Convinced that cultural cooperation can meaningfully contribute to strengthen the bonds of friendship and mutual understanding between the two countries, as well as to raise the level of knowledge between them; Recognizing the importance of promoting cultural values in both countries; Guided by the desire to enhance relations in the cultural realm Have agreed as follows:

Article I

The Parties shall encourage the cooperation between their cultural institutions, public and private, in order to develop activities which shall contribute to the improvement of the mutual knowledge of both countries and the diffusion of their respective cultures.

Article II

The Parties shall endeavor to improve and to increase the level of knowledge and the teaching of the culture in general of each other's country, taking into account the concepts of linguistic, ethnical and cultural diversity.

Article III

The Parties shall promote the exchange of their experiences in the fields of plastic arts, scenic arts, music and cultural education, encouraging the participation of Latvian and of Brazilian artists in festivals, workshops, exhibitions and international events to be held in Latvia or in Brazil.

Article IV

The Parties shall encourage direct contacts between their respective museums, in order to foster the diffusion and exchange of their respective collections.

Article V

The Parties, acknowledging the importance of cultural heritage, shall encourage the exchange of experiences and the cooperation in the fields of restoration, protection and conservation of the mentioned heritage, including World Heritage sites.

Article VI

The Parties shall collaborate on the preservation of oral and intangible cultural heritage and invite traditional art groups to participate in international festivals organized in each country as well as encourage the exchange of experts to participate in seminars and workshops of amateur art.

Article VII

The Parties shall encourage initiatives aimed at the promotion of their literary production by encouraging book translation projects, exchange programs for writer and the participation in book fairs in both countries.

Article VIII

The Parties shall encourage cooperation between their libraries and archives, through the exchange of information, books and publications.

Moreover, the Parties shall promote the exchange of experiences in the conservation, restoration and diffusion of bibliographic heritage, in the maintenance and restoration of ancient manuscripts and documents, and in the area of new information technologies.

Article IX

The Parties shall encourage cooperation in the fields of radio broadcasting, cinema and television, with the objective of disseminating information on recent productions and supporting the diffusion of the culture of both countries.

Article X

The Parties shall take appropriate measures in order to prevent the illegal import, export and transfer of goods which are part of their respective cultural heritage, according to their national legislation and in the application of international treaties signed by each Party.

Article XI

The Parties shall promote the exchange of information and collaboration in the area of copyrights and neighbouring rights. The Parties shall provide the means and procedures for due compliance with copyrights and neighbouring rights in accordance with their national legislation and the related international conventions to which they are Parties.

Article XII

The Parties shall strengthen the exchange of information about their respective cultural institutions and promote the development of joint projects among them.

Article XIII

There shall be established a Joint Commission for the adequate follow up of the execution of the present Agreement. The Joint Commission shall be coordinated by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and of Culture of the Federative Republic of Brazil and constituted by representatives from both countries, convened by the Parties when necessary, alternately in Latvia and in Brazil. The Joint Commission will have the following functions:

a) evaluate and identify the priority areas in which the accomplishment of specific cooperation projects in the fields of arts and culture would be feasible, as well as the resources necessary for their execution;

b) analyze, review, approve, follow up and evaluate the cultural cooperation programmes;

c) supervise the course of the present Agreement, as well as the execution of the agreed projects, and submit to the Parties any recommendations which it may consider relevant.

Article XIV

Each Party shall grant the facilities for the entrance, stay and departure of official participants in the cooperation projects. These participants shall submit themselves to the migratory, sanitary and national security devices valid in the receiving country and shall not dedicate themselves to any activity other than their functions without a previous authorization by the correspondent authorities.

Article XV

The Parties shall grant all administrative and inspection facilities necessary for the entry and exit of any equipment and materials which will be used for

the accomplishment of the projects, according to the national legislation. The goods consigned to cultural expositions may be imported into the country under a specific temporary admission system. The immigration, import and export facilities established in the present Agreement shall be limited to the laws presently valid in the territories of the Parties.

Article XVI

All disputes that may arise between the Parties concerning the interpretation and implementation of this Agreement shall be settled through diplomatic channels.

Article XVII

The Parties shall notify each other, through diplomatic channels, on the completion of all necessary internal legal formalities for the approval of this Agreement, which shall enter into force on the date of the reception of the last notification.

The present Agreement shall remain in force initially for 5 (five) years, and shall be automatically renewed for equal periods, unless either Party denounces it upon a six-month notice in writing prior to the intended date of termination, through diplomatic channels.

This Agreement can be amended as agreed by the Parties through diplomatic channels. The termination of the present Agreement shall not affect the conclusion of any undertaken program or project.

Signed at Riga, on this 9th day of June 2008, in two (2) originals, in the Latvian, Portuguese and English languages, all texts being equally authentic. In case of divergence of interpretation, the English text shall prevail.