AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF LATVIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF CROATIA ON CO-OPERATION IN THE FIELDS OF SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY AND HIGHER EDUCATION

The Government of the Republic of Latvia and the Government of the Republic of Croatia (hereafter to as the "Contracting Parties"):

Recognising the importance of science, technology and higher education in the development of prosperous national economies and societies;

Conscious of the desirability of promoting to the greatest possible extent mutual knowledge and understanding of scientific, technological and higher educational achievements of their respectable countries;

Convinced that international co-operation in those fields will strengthen the bonds of friendship and understanding bet­ween their peoples;

Convinced of the need for further developing mutually beneficial scientific, technological and higher educational co-operation; and

Recalling the Helsinki Final Act of the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe of the 1st August 1975 and the concluding documents of follow-up meetings held in Vienna, Bonn, Madrid and Paris;

Have agreed as follows:

Article 1

(1) The Contracting Parties shall support and encourage co-operation between institutions, organisations and persons of both countries in the field of science, technology and higher education.

(2) The Contracting Parties shall endeavour to create favourable conditions so as to enable institutions, organisations and persons to establish mutual contacts and to realise joint activities in the fields of their interest.

Article 2

In accordance to the aim of this Agreement, the Contracting Partiess shall encourage:

a) Co-operation in various fields of science, including:

- the exchange of scientists and experts,

- the implementation of joint research and development projects;

- the organisation of joint scientific seminars, workshops, conferences and other scientific meetings,

- direct co-operation between scientific and academic institutions, research centres and centres for transfer and development of new technologies of both countries;

- the exchange of scientific publications and information and

- any other form of co-operation which may be mutually agreed upon between the Contracting Parties or relevant institutions in both countries;

(b) Co-operation in the field of technology, computer sciences and information management

- especially supporting and encouraging the transfer and development of new technologies and

- establishing and developing advanced information systems between the countries;

(c) Co-operation between institutions of higher education specially:

- the exchange of university teachers;

- the granting of scholarships and the facilitating exchange of undergraduate and postgraduate students;

- co-operation in the field of the Latvian and Croatian language and literature, respectively.

(d) Co-operation in the fields of marine biology and related technologies, as well as research related to environmental protection and ecology of the sea.

Article 3

The Contracting Parties shall exchange information on their higher education system in order to enable the reciprocal recognition of diplomas and academic degrees awarded by their institutions of higher education, in accordance with national legislation.

Article 4

(l) In the implementation of the provisions of this Agreement, due regard shall be paid to the autonomy of different academic and scientific institutions.

(2) Their freedom to enter and maintain mutual relations shall be respected, as well as the establishment of direct co-operation.

Article 5

The Contracting Parties shall promote and facilitate the participation of the other Contracting Party in scientific and technological co-operation performed under auspices of International organisations (such as the European Union, the United Nations, the World Health Organisation, and various other trans-national organisations, etc.)

Article 6

In accordance with the intention of the Contracting Parties, activities and exchanges arising out of this Agreement shall be carried out on the basis of reciprocity, including financial reciprocity, unless agreed otherwise by the Contracting parties.

Article 7

Scientists, technical experts and institutions of other countries or international organisations may be invited, at their own expense and upon the consent of both Contracting Parties, to participate in the activities being carried out pursuant to this Agreement, unless agreed otherwise by the Contracting Parties.

Article 8

(1) In accordance with binding international conventions and agreements in the field of intellectual property, the Contracting Parties may become, within their respective laws and regulations, joint legal owners of intellectual property rights resulting from the activities arising out of this Agreement.

(2) Subject to prior mutual agreement on all relevant aspects, the Contracting Parties may register industrial property rights in accordance with their respective industrial property laws and denote copyrights in accordance with their respective copyright laws.

Article 9

(1) For the purpose of the implementation of this Agreement a Mixed Latvian-Croatian Commission (hereinafter referred to as "The Mixed Commission") shall be established.

(2) On the basis of an equal number of members the Contracting Parties shall appoint representatives in the Mixed Commission.

(3) The tasks of the Mixed Commission shall be supervision, support and coordination of the implementation of this Agreement.

(a) The Mixed Commission shall, in principle, operate through diplomatic channels. When necessary, it may meet alternatively in the Republic of Latvia and in the Republic of Croatia.

Article 10

(l) This Agreement shall enter into force on the day of the receipt of the later diplomatic note by which the Contracting Parties inform each other that all conditions are met which are foreseen by national legislation for its entering into force.

(2) This Agreement shall remain in force for a period of five (5) years, from the day of its entering into force, and continue thereafter tacitly for further periods of five (5) years, unless either Contracting Party notifies in writing the other Contracting Party through diplomatic channels of its intention to denounce it. The denunciations shall become effective six (6) months after written notification has been received through diplomatic channels by the other Contracting Party.

(3) In the event of denunciation of this Agreement, programmes and projects in progress shall not be affected by the denunciation, and shall continue until their completion, unless agreed otherwise.

Article 11

Disputes between the Contracting Parties concerning the interpretation or application of this Agreement shall be settled through diplomatic channels.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned being duly authorised by their respective Governments have signed this Agreement.

Done at Zagreb on February 23, 2001, in duplicate in Latvian, Croatian, and English language; all texts being equally authentic. In case of divergence of interpretation, the English version shall prevail.