AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA AND THE MINISTRY OF HEALTH OF THE REPUBLIC OF MOLDOVA ON COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF HEALTH AND MEDICAL SCIENCES

The Ministry of Health of the Republic of Latvia and the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Moldova, hereinafter named "the Contracting Parties",

wishing to develop bilateral cooperation in the field of health and medical sciences,

with the common aim of improving and strengthening the health of the population in both states,

following the principles of international law,

have agreed as follows:

Article 1

The Contracting Parties shall cooperate in the field of health and medical sciences, following the principles of equality and mutual benefit, in accordance with national legislation of both states and taking into account their international obligations.

Article 2

The Contracting Parties shall develop mutually beneficial cooperation in the following areas:

1) health services organisation (primary health care strengthening, specialized medical services optimisation, hospital health care efficiency increasing, health services market development, public health services performing);

2) development and implementation of joint projects on priority topics and issues for both states in the field of health and medical sciences;

3) training and retraining of personnel in the field of health, pharmaceutics, public health, including teaching, scientific and managerial personnel in health area;

4) registration, certification and purchasing of products and medical devices;

5) pharmaceutical policy and activity (authorisation, clinical evaluation, pharmacovigilance, pharmaceutical industry, quality control, import-export, purchase and rational use of medicines, pharmaceutical inspection);

6) development of fundamental scientific and applied research in preventive, clinical and experimental health area, in order to protect and strengthen the population health;

7) health economy, including the financial management and health insurance performing;

8) management of information technologies within health system;

9) prevention, surveillance and control of communicable diseases, (especially TB and HIV/AIDS) and non-communicable diseases (cardio-vascular, oncological diseases, diabetes etc.);

10) quality management in health care, including health care facilities accreditation system performing.

Article 3

The Contracting Parties shall implement Article 2 of this Agreement by means of mutual consultations, exchange of specialists and information, organisation of symposiums and conferences, publication of monographs and articles, as well as other ways of cooperation as mutually agreed.

Article 4

The Contracting Parties shall encourage direct relations between health educational institutions, health scientific institutions, health care facilities and other health system related public organisations of both states.

Article 5

The Contracting Parties shall promote exchange of information on congresses, conferences, exhibitions and other events in the field of health and medical sciences of their respective countries.

Article 6

The expenditures related to the fulfilment of this Agreement provisions shall be covered by each Contracting Party in the limits of the available financial resources provided for in the respective field. The expenditures shall be agreed by the Contracting Parties on case by case basis.

Article 7

The provisions of this Agreement do not affect the rights and obligations of the Contracting Parties resulting from other international agreements in force, to which either is a Party.

Article 8

The alterations and amendments to this Agreement shall be made by the mutual consent of the Contracting Parties through the protocols, which are an integral part of this Agreement and shall enter into force in accordance with paragraph 1 of Article 10.

Article 9

Any disputes regarding the interpretation or application of this Agreement shall be resolved by consultations and negotiations between the Contracting Parties.

Article 10

(1) This Agreement shall enter into force on the last written notification receipt, through diplomatic channels, by which the Contracting Parties notify each other on the fulfilment of the internal procedures necessary for its entering into force.

(2) This Agreement is concluded for the period of five years and is automatically extended for successive periods of five years, unless one of the Contracting Parties gives the other Contracting Party a written notice to terminate this Agreement six months prior to its expiration.

Done at Geneva, Switzerland on 22 May 2012 in two originals, in Latvian, Moldovan and English languages, all texts being equally authentic.

In case of divergence of interpretation, the English text shall prevail.