Protocol on Amendments to the Agreement among the Government of the Republic of Latvia, the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on Co-operation in the Field of Tourism

The Government of the Republic of Latvia, the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter referred to as the Parties),

Realising the significance and the benefit of tripartite co-operation in the field of tourism within the Baltic Sea region and the European Union,

Guided by the principles and recommendations of the United Nations Conference on International Travel and Tourism, the Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe and, also, the recommendations of the United Nations World Tourism Organization, legislative acts of the European Union and other European Union documents in the field of tourism,

Recognising the need to update the Agreement among the Government of the Republic of Latvia, the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on Co-operation in the Field of Tourism signed in Visaginas, 26 June 2002 (hereinafter referred to as the Agreement), to reflect the rapid development in the national and global level,

Have agreed as follows:

1. To make the following amendments to the Agreement:

1.1. Paragraphs 5 and 6 of the Preamble shall be replaced by the following text:

"realizing the significance and the benefit of co-operation for the Baltic States within the Baltic Sea region and the European Union in order to encourage the integration of the Baltic States into the international tourism activities;"

1.2. Paragraph 2 of Article 3 shall be replaced by the following text:

"The Parties may establish common tourist information offices or appoint common tourism representatives in respective and third countries."

1.3. Article 4 shall be deleted.

1.4. Article 6 shall be replaced by the following text:

"Article 6

The Parties shall cooperate both financially and non-financially in:

1) promoting the Baltic area as a tourist destination for short-haul and long-haul markets;

2) development of Baltic tourism brand;

3) development of tourism products;

4) development of tourism infrastructure and quality of tourism services;

5) reducing administrative burdens;

6) collecting of statistical information;

7) participation in international tourism organisations;

8) applying of modern technologies for tourism development;

9) development of projects in various international aid programmes."

1.5. Paragraph 1 of Article 7 shall be replaced by the following text:

"To ensure the implementation of this Agreement, the Parties shall establish a Joint Tourism Committee (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) consisting of tourism officials from the three countries. The aim of the Committee shall be to implement joint proposals, programmes and resolutions linked to the development of trilateral co-operation in the field of tourism."

1.6. Paragraph 5 of Article 7 shall be replaced by the following text:

"The Committee shall meet at least once a year, alternately in the Republic of Latvia, the Republic of Estonia and the Republic of Lithuania."

1.7. Article 8 shall be replaced by the following text:

"The Parties have agreed that the following public authorities shall coordinate the implementation of this Agreement:

- The Ministry of Economics of the Republic of Latvia;

- The Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications of the Republic of Estonia;

- The Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Lithuania.

The Parties shall notify each other through diplomatic channels of any changes of the public authorities coordinating the implementation of this Agreement."

2. This Protocol shall form an integral part of the Agreement and shall enter into force upon the date of its signature.

Done at Vilnius on October 17, 2013 in three original copies, each in the Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, and English languages, all texts being equally authentic. In case of divergence of interpretation of this Protocol, the English text shall prevail.