Copenhagen, 18 December, 1996

Your Excellency,

I have the honour to inform you that the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark, with a view to facilitating the travel between the Kingdom of Denmark and the Republic of Latvia, is prepared to conclude with the Government of the Republic of Latvia an agreement on the following terms:

Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia (hereinafter referred to as Latvia) and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark (hereinafter referred to as Denmark) Concerning the Abolition of the Visa Requirement

Article 1

Citizens of Latvia holding valid passports of Latvia shall be free to enter Denmark at any authorized border-crossing point and to stay in Denmark for a period not exceeding three months without being required to obtain a visa. This period of three months commences on the date of entry into any Nordic state being a Party to the Convention of 12 July 1957 on the Waiver of Passport Control at the Intra-Nordic Borders. Any stay in any of those States during six months preceding the entry into any of those States from a non-Nordic State shall be included in the above period of three months.

Article 2

Citizens of Denmark holding valid passports of Denmark shall be free to enter Latvia at any authorized border-crossing point and to stay in Latvia for a period not exceeding three months during one calender year without being required to obtain a visa.

His Excellency Mr. Valdis Birkavs

Minister for Foreign Affairs

of the Republic of Latvia

Article 3

It is understood that the waiver of the visa requirement does not exempt persons benefitting under this agreement from the necessity to comply with the laws and regulations in force in each Contracting Party concerning entry, residence - temporary or permanent - and work.

Article 4

Each Contracting Party reserves the right to refuse citizens of the other Contracting Party that are considered undesirable to enter and stay on its territory.

Article 5

In the implementation of this agreement the competent authorities are as follows:

Latvia: The Department of Immigration and Citizenship of the Ministry of Interior, Raina bulvaris 5, LV-1508, Riga, telephone 721 98 04, telefax 782 03 06, e-mail ugitis@pid.bkc.lv.

Denmark: The Danish Immigration Service, Ryesgade 53, DK-2100 Copenhagen Æ, telephone 35 36 66 00, telefax 35 36 42 79, e-mail dokinfo@pip.dknet.dk.

Article 6

Each Contracting Party may temporarily suspend the foregoing provisions in whole or in part for reasons of public order. Such suspension shall be notified immediately to the other Contracting Party through diplomatic channels.

Article 7

The present agreement shall enter into force on 1 January 1997. The agreement may be denounced by either Contracting Party by notification in writing through diplomatic channels. The denunciation shall take effect one month after the date of the notification.

Article 8

Nothing in this Agreement shall affect in any way the rights and obligations of either Contracting Party arising from other existing or future international agreements.

If foregoing proposal is acceptable to the Government of the Republic of Latvia, I have the honour to suggest that the present Note and Your Excellency's reply to that effect shall constitute an agreement between the two Governments.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Niels Helveg Petersen

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Copenhagen, 18 December, 1996

Your Excellency,

I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of your Note of 18 December, 1996, which reads follows:

"Your Excellency,

I have the honour to inform you that the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark, with a view to facilitating the travel between the Kingdom of Denmark and the Republic of Latvia, is prepared to conclude with the Government of the Republic of Latvia an agreement on the following terms:

Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia (hereinafter referred to as Latvia) and the Government of the Kingdom of Denmark (hereinafter referred to as Denmark) Concerning the Abolition of the Visa Requirement

Article 1

Citizens of Latvia holding valid passports of Latvia shall be free to enter Denmark at any authorized border-crossing point and to stay in Denmark for a period not exceeding three months without being required to obtain a visa. This period of three months commences on the date of entry into any Nordic state being a Party to the Convention of 12 July 1957 on the Waiver of Passport Control at the Intra-Nordic Borders. Any stay in any of those States during six months preceding the entry into any of those States from a non-Nordic State shall be included in the above period of three months.

His Excellency Mr. Niels Helveg Petersen

Minister for Foreign Affairs

of the Kingdom of Denmark

Article 2

Citizens of Denmark holding valid passports of Denmark shall be free to enter Latvia at any authorized border-crossing point and to stay in Latvia for a period not exceeding three months during one calendar year without being required to obtain a visa.

Article 3

It is understood that the waiver of the visa requirement does not exempt persons benefitting under this Agreement from the necessity to comply with the laws and regulations in force in each Contracting Party concerning entry, residence - temporary or permanent - and work.

Article 4

Each Contracting Party reserves the right to refuse citizens of the other Contracting Party that are considered undesirable to enter and stay on its territory.

Article 5

In the implementation of this Agreement the competent authorities are as follows:

Latvia: The Department of Immigration and Citizenship of the Ministry of Interior, Rai?a bulvåris 5, LV-1508, Rīga, telephone 721 98 04, telefax 782 03 06, e-mail ugitis@pid.bkc.lv.

Denmark: The Danish Immigration Service, Ryesgade 53, DK-2100 Copenhagen Æ, telephone 35 36 66 00, telefax 35 36 42 79, e-mail dokinfo@pip.dknet.dk.

Article 6

Each Contracting Party may temporarily suspend the foregoing provisions in whole or in part for reasons of public order. Such suspension shall be notified immediately to the other Contracting Party through diplomatic channels.

Article 7

The present Agreement shall enter into force on 1 January 1997. The Agreement may be denounced by either Contracting Party by notification in writing through diplomatic channels. The denunciation shall take effect one month after the date of the notification.

Article 8

Nothing in this Agreement shall affect in any way the rights and obligations of either Contracting Party arising from other existing or future international agreements.

If foregoing proposal is acceptable to the Government of the Republic of Latvia, I have the honour to suggest that the present Note and Your Excellency's reply to thet effect shall constitute an agreement between the two Governments.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration."

In reply, I have the honour to state that the Government of the republic of Latvia accepts the proposal of the Government of Denmark and agrees that Your Excellency's Note and the present reply shall constitute an agreement between the two Governments.

Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of my highest consideration.

Valdis Birkavs

Minister for Foreign Affairs