AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED MEXICAN STATES ON CO- OPERATION IN THE FIELD OF EDUCATION, CULTURE AND SPORT

 

The Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the United Mexican States, hereinafter referred to as "the Parties",

PROMPTED by the desire to establish and to consolidate co-operation and exchange in the field of education, culture and sport between the two countries,

CONVINCED that said co-operation is a valuable instrument for strengthening mutual understanding between the peoples of the two countries,

RECOGNIZING the importance of establishing mechanisms which contribute to strengthen co-operation in areas of mutual interest, and the need to carry out specific programs of collaboration and exchange in the field of education, culture and sport in accordance to the dynamisms of the new international scenery,

Have agreed as follows:

 

Article 1

The objective of this Agreement is to increase and encourage co-operation bet­ween governmental and non-governmental organizations of both Parties in the field of education, culture and sport through the execution of activities which contribute to broadening knowledge between the two countries, with due consideration to the international conventions to which they are Parties through the observance of the rights and obligations established in other international agreements and in the national legislation of both countries.

 

Article 2

The Parties shall promote co-operation among the institutions of both countries responsible for the national educational system through the exchange of experts, publications and materials, so as to establish in the future joint projects of collaboration.

 

Article 3

The Parties shall collaborate in the field of higher education through the exchange of information of each other's educational systems, they shall encourage the establishment and maintenance of direct relations between their universities and other institutions of higher education, cultural and research institutes to implement executive agreements, co-operation programmes, and participation in joint projects and exchange of experts.

 

Article 4

The Parties shall, as far as their possibilities allow, foster student exchange through the establishment of reciprocal programmes of scholarships to pursue postgraduate, specialization or research studies in institutions of higher education of the counterpart country. The conditions, tuitions and financial arrangements shall be provided through executive agreements and separate programmes.

 

Article 5

The Parties shall promote the exchange of information on their respective educational system aimed at studying the possibility of acknowledging diplomas, teaching certificates and academic degrees of both countries.

 

Article 6

The Parties shall encourage the learning of each other's language, literature and culture in general.

 

Article 7

On a reciprocity basis, the Parties agree to contribute to the foundation of cultural centres in their respective Capitals, to that effect, the Parties shall celebrate special agreements to determine the legal status and operating conditions for said centres.

 

Article 8

The Parties shall promote their respective artistic manifestations through the exchange of artistic groups and participation in cultural activities and international festivals of personalities in the plastic, performing and musical arts.

 

Article 9

Recognizing the importance of their respective historical and cultural heritage, the Parties shall promote the establishment of links of co-operation as regards the restoration, safekeeping and conservation of the said heritage.

 

Article 10

The Parties commit themselves to establish in their territory the measures to prohibit and to prevent the illicit import, export and the transference of the goods that integrate their respective historical and cultural heritages, in accordance with their national legislation and in the enforcement of the related international conventions to which they are parties.

In accordance with the first paragraph of this article, the Parties shall take the necessary actions to return those illegally imported or exported goods.

 

Article 11

The Parties shall strengthen the co-operation links between their ordered institution of their national archives, libraries and museums, and shall encourage exchanges in the diffusion and conservation of their cultural heritage, and ensure the accessibility to documents and information, in accordance with their respective national legislation.

 

Article 12

The Parties shall promote activities leading to improve literary production through the exchange of writers, participation in book fairs, meetings, realization of translation and co-edition projects. The Parties shall also endeavour to strengthen the links among their respective publishing houses in order to enrich literary production.

 

Article 13

The Parties shall exchange copyrights, neighbouring rights and intellectual property information, in order to acknowledge their respective national systems in such areas.

The Parties shall give proper protection and shall provide all the necessary means and procedures for due observance of copyrights, neighbouring rights and intellectual property, in accordance with their national legislation and in the observance of the related international conventions to which they are parties.

 

Article 14

The Parties shall encourage co-operation among their respective competent radio and television and new information technologies broadcasting institutions, with a view to learn about their most recent productions and to support the broadcast of cultural programmes of both countries.

 

Article 15

The Parties shall facilitate co-operation in the field of cinematography through the exchange of films and the organization of gatherings among filmmakers, experts and technicians involved in this field, as well as reciprocal participation in film festivals in both countries.

 

Article 16

The Parties shall encourage the exchange of information on cultural industries and the implementation of joint projects in this matter.

 

Article 17

The Parties shall encourage co-operation between their competent institutions in the realization of educational, cultural and sports activities in regard of the most vulnerable sectors of the population, pay­ing special attention to women, children, handicapped and elderly people.

 

Article 18

The Parties shall endeavour the exchange of information on the policies that pursue to protect children and youth. At the same time, shall promote co-operation among institutions devoted to protect children as well as the exchange of specialists related to this area.

 

Article 19

The Parties shall encourage co-operation among their competent institutions on youth, recreation, physical-education and sports issues.

The Parties shall provide support for establishing of links of co-operation among the institutions of both countries responsible for providing educational, cultural, leisure and recreational services to their elderly people.

 

Article 20

For the achievement of the objectives of this Agreement, the Parties shall jointly elaborate annual programmes, automatically renewed for similar subsequent periods, unless either of the Parties notifies the other of its intention to terminate it, according to the priorities of both countries in the sphere of their respective plans and strategies for educational, cultural and social development.

Each programme must specify objectives, co-operation forms, financial and technical resources, work timetables and the areas in which the projects shall be executed. The Parties shall also specify the obligations, including those of a financial nature.

Each programme shall be evaluated periodically by requests from the co-ordinating entities designated in Article 22 of the present Agreement.

 

Article 21

For the purpose of this Agreement, the educational, cultural and sport co-operation between the Parties may assume the following modalities:

a) Joint and co-ordinated execution of research programmes;

b) Implementation of direct co-operation agreements among teaching institutions at all levels;

c) Organization of teaching and training courses for human

resources;

d) Organization of congresses, seminars, conferences and other academic activities in which experts from both countries participate;

e) Creation of professorships or assistantships at schools, universities, and public educational and cultural establishments;

f) Exchange of experts, professors, researchers or lecturers;

g) Awarding scholarships and entitlements to enable their respective nationals to pursue postgraduate, specialization or research studies in their public institutions for higher education, in the areas previously established by mutual agreement of the Parties, within the possibilities of each of the Parties and, in accordance with their national laws;

h) Sending and/or receiving of postgraduate students for specialization and research studies;

i) Sending and/or receiving writers, creators, artists, as well as experts in arts and culture in order to exchange experiences in artistic education;

j) Participation in cultural activities and international artistic festivals, as well as in book fairs and literary gatherings held in their respective countries;

k) Organization and presentation in the country of the other Party of arts and culture representative exhibitions of each country;

l) Translation and co-publishing of literary productions of each country;

m) Sending and/or receiving of educational materials necessary for the execution of specific projects;

n) Sending and/or receiving of audiovisual materials and radio and television programmes designed for educational and cultural purposes;

o) Sending and/or receiving of films and similar material for the purposes of participating in film festivals organized in each country;

p) Sending and/or receiving of sports material for educational purposes;

q) Sending and/or receiving of informative, bibliographic and documentary material on educative, artistic and cultural areas;

r) Development of joint activities of educational and cultural co-operation in third countries;

s) Any other form agreed upon by the Parties.

 

Article 22

For the purpose of following up and co-ordinating the actions of co-operation provided for this Agreement, a Mixed Commission of Educational, Cultural and Sport Co-operation shall be established. This Commission shall be composed by representatives of both countries and it shall meet alternately in the Republic of Latvia or in the United Mexican States on the date agreed upon by the Parties through diplomatic channels. The Mixed Commission for Co-operation shall have the following functions:

a) Evaluate and define the priority areas in which it is feasible to develop specific projects of co-operation in the field of education, culture, youth activities and sport, as well as the necessary resources for their execution;

b) Analyse, review, approve, monitor and evaluate the Co-operation Programmes in the field of education, culture and sport;

c) Oversee the proper functioning of this Agreement, as well as the execution of the agreed projects, affording the means for their conclusion within the established deadlines;

d) Propose means for resolving administrative and financial problems that arise during the execution of the actions carried out within the framework of this Agreement;

e) Submit to the Parties the recommendations it considers pertinent.

Notwithstanding the provisions of the first paragraph of this Article, each of the Parties may, at any time, submit to the other specific co-operation projects of education, culture and sport, for their due study and subsequent approval by the Mixed Commission.

 

Article 23

Whenever deemed necessary, the Parties may request financial support from outside sources such as international organizations and third countries for the execution of programmes and projects executed under the auspices of this Agreement.

 

Article 24

Each of the Parties shall provide all the necessary facilities for the entry, stay and departure of participants who are officially involved in the co-operation projects derived from the present Agreement. Such participants shall be subject to the immigration, tax, customs, sanitary and national security law of the receiving country and may not partake in any activity other than that pertaining to their functions, without the previous authorization of the competent authorities in this field. The participants shall enter and leave the receiving country in accordance with its laws and dispositions.

 

Article 25

In accordance with their respective national legislation, the Parties shall provide all the administrative, tax and customs facilities necessary for the temporary entry and exit from their territories of the equipment and materials to be used for the execution of projects.

 

Article 26

Any divergence that may arise from the application and/or interpretation of this Agreement shall be solved by mutual agreement between the Parties through diplomatic channels.

 

Article 27

This Agreement shall enter into force thirty (30) days after the date of the final notification, made through diplomatic channels and notifying the compliance of their internal legal requirements for the entry into force of this Agreement.

This Agreement shall remain in force for a period of five (5) years and shall be automatically renewed for further five (5) years, unless either of the Parties sends to the other Party written notice of its intention to terminate this Agreement through diplomatic channels, within six (6) months in advance.

This Agreement may be modified by mutual consent of the Parties and the agreed modification shall come into force in accordance with the procedures established in the first paragraph of this Article. Unless other­wise convened by both Parties the termination of this Agreement, shall not affect the conclusion of the programmes and projects carried out while it was in force.

Signed at Mexico City, on the day 15^th of April of the year two thousand and five, in two originals, each in the Latvian, Spanish and English languages, all texts being equally authentic. In case of divergence of the interpretation of this Agreement, the English text shall prevail.

 

FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA Ina Druviete Minister of Education and Science

FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED MEXICAN STATES Reyes Silvestre Tamez Guerra Minister of Public Education