Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on economic, industrial, scientific and technical cooperation

The Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine,

Hereinafter referred to as the "Contracting Parties",

TAKING INTO ACCOUNT the traditional long-term economic relations,

DESIRING to maintain and strengthen economic, industrial, scientific and technical cooperation,

BEING GUIDED by the principles of equality, mutual interests and international law,

CONSIDERING that Latvia has become a member state of the European Union on 1 May 2004,

Have agreed as follows:

Article 1

The Contracting Parties shall develop, strengthen and diversify economic, industrial, scientific and technical cooperation on the mutually beneficial basis and in all spheres of mutual interest.

Article 2

Taking into account the achieved level of economic, industrial, scientific and technical cooperation, the Contracting Parties have agreed that there exist favorable opportunities for long-term cooperation, in particular in the following areas:

- light industry;

- transport, including means of transportation;

- power engineering;

- public health and pharmaceutical industry;

- chemical and petrochemical industry;

- natural gas industry;

- woodworking industry, including pulp and paper industry;

- electrical equipment and electrical appliances;

- electronic and electrical engineering industry;

- metallurgy, including metal-working industry;

- industrial equipment;

- agricultural and forestry equipment;

- food industry equipment, including equipment for food processing industry;

- environmental machine-building;

- mining industry;

- production of construction materials and equipment;

- modernization and reconstruction of electric power plants, including power
supply systems;

- development and reconstruction of gas and oil pipelines, including cooperation
in the sphere of exploration and providing equipment for new deposits;

- cooperation in the spheres of industrial and civil construction; education and experts training in different industries; cooperation in the sphere of statistics.

Article 3

With the purpose of performing the tasks set out in Article 1 of this Agreement the Intergovernmental Commission on Economic, Industrial, Scientific and Technical Cooperation (hereinafter the Intergovernmental Commission) shall be established. The Intergovernmental Commission shall be composed of representatives of respective state authorities.

The Intergovernmental Commission can invite representatives of business circles to take part in its work.

Article 4

The Intergovernmental Commission shall hold sessions when necessary, but not less than once a year by turns in the Republic of Latvia and in Ukraine. The Intergovernmental Commission shall agree upon its operation schedule.

Article 5

1. The main tasks of the Intergovernmental Commission are as follows:

a) to discuss programs of economic, industrial, scientific and technical cooperation in the spheres of mutual interest;

b) to promote the creation of necessary conditions for giving credits and financial provision of economic, industrial, scientific and technical cooperation;

c) to facilitate cooperation between small and medium size enterprises;

d) to promote the creation of appropriate conditions for participation of businessmen of both countries in international exhibitions and trade fairs held on the territory of either Contracting Party;

e) to cooperate in environmentally safe infrastructure systems, namely in the following spheres:

- power engineering;

- road and railway networks;

- marine and river transportation net­works;

- air transport;

- telecommunications;

- collection and disposal of industrial and household wastes;

- melioration;

- water industry;

f) to develop proposals for protection and safety of the environment and protection of consumers;

g) to develop proposals and to take measures for providing safety and sustainability of supply of electricity, oil and natural gas as well as attraction of potential investors, with special attention drawn to use and transmission of electric power, transportation of gas and oil products;

h) to develop proposals and to take measures aimed at increasing of safety level of nuclear power plants according to internationally accepted nuclear safety standards;

i) to compare statistics of the Contracting Parties.

2. The Intergovernmental Commission shall promote the development of cooperative relations and other forms of industrial cooperation.

3. The Intergovernmental Commission shall make recommendation on the changes and amendments of this Agreement.

Article 6

This Agreement shall apply without prejudice to the obligations following from Latvia's membership in the European Union. The provisions of the Agreement may not be invoked or interpreted in such a way to invalidate or otherwise affect the obligations imposed by the Partnership and Co-operation Agreement or other agreements between Ukraine and the European Union.

Article 7

The provisions of this Agreement may be changed and amended by the mutual agreement of the Contracting Parties. Such changes and amendments shall be formed as additional Protocols which will constitute an integral part of this Agreement.

Article 8

1. This Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the date on which the Contracting Parties have notified each other of the completion of the internal legal procedures necessary for this purpose.

2. Upon the entry into force of this Agreement, the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of Ukraine about the establishment of the Latvian - Ukrainian Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic cooperation, signed at Riga on the 24^th May 1995, shall cease to be in force.

Article 9

This Agreement is concluded for the indefinite term. Each Contracting Party can terminate this Agreement by means of a written notification to the other Contracting Party. The termination shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month following the date on which the other Contracting Party received the notification.

Done at Riga on 5^th of October, 2004, in two original copies, each in the Latvian, Ukrainian and English, all texts being equally authentic. In case of divergence in interpretation of the Agreement, the English text shall prevail.