ZA MINISTRSTVO ZA OBRAMBO REPUBLIKE AZERBAJDŽAN Generalpolkovnik Safar ABIYEV l.r. minister za obrambo
Taking into account the need to contribute to the strengthening of peace, confidence and stability and to the development of relations between the states in Europe and world as a whole, and in the spirit of the United Nations Charter, the Helsinki Final Act, the Paris Charter for new Europe and the Agreement between the NATO Member States and other Countries participating in the Partnership for Peace regarding the status of their Armed Forces (PfP SOFA) and the additional Protocol to the PfP SOFA,
Positively assessing the integration process in the world, reflecting the aspirations for mutual benefit and co-operation on the basis of respect and trust,
Adhering to the responsibilities, resulting from the international agreements on strengthening of security, stability and peace,
Aimed at long term planning and outlining the areas of co-operation between the Contracting Parties,
Convinced that the development on the bilateral contacts will result in the expansion of the relations between two states,
Have agreed as follows:
ARTICLE 1
1. The Contracting Parties carry out their obligations outlined in this Agreement based on the principle of equality and reciprocity.
2. The Contracting Parties shall implement the provisions of this Agreement in compliance with the international treaties seconded by their states and the national legislations within the framework of their competence.
ARTICLE 2
1. The Contracting Parties shall co-operate in the following areas according to the national legislations of their states and within the framework of their competence:
Defence and security policy;
Military economic and military technical activities;
Personnel training;
Social, sports and cultural activities;
Military legislation;
Military-scientific activities;
Military medicine;
Military mapping;
Confidence and security building measures;
Arms control;
Joint participation in NATO PfP activities;
Humanitarian and peace support operations.
2. While implementing this Agreement the Contracting Parties shall identify and develop new areas of cooperation.
3. In order to realize the specific cooperation programs in the above-mentioned areas, the Contracting Parties may sign separate agreements.
ARTICLE 3
The Contracting Parties will cooperate in the following forms:
Official visits and working meetings;
Exchange of experience and consultations;
Participation in the training projects, probationary training periods, qualification courses;
Mutual participation in the exercises;
Participation in conferences and workshops;
Exchange of documents, scientific projects and patents;
Exchange of information of mutual interest;
Concerts, exhibitions, festivals and other cultural events.
ARTICLE 4
1. Based on this Agreement, the Contracting Parties will develop an annual Plan for bilateral military cooperation.
2. Every year by October 15, the Contracting Parties will co-ordinate an annual Plan for bilateral military cooperation.
3. The annual Plan for bilateral military cooperation includes the topic of the activity, its form, the time and place where it was realized, the responsible authorities, the number of people and other important information related to the organization and realization of the activity.
4. After coordination, the annual Plan for bilateral military cooperation is signed by the authorized representatives of the Contracting Parties by 15 December of the year preceding the one, which the Plan refers to.
ARTICLE 5
In connection with the implementation of this Agreement, the status of the personnel will be governed by the Agreement among the States Parties to the North Atlantic Treaty and the other States participating in the Partnership for Peace regarding the status of their Forces, done at Brussels on 19 June 1995.
ARTICLE 6
1. The Contracting Parties are obliged to provide protection of the information gathered and exchanged during the cooperation adhering to the respective national legislation of the States of the Parties.
2. The Contracting Party which receives the classified information shall determine a comparable security classification level to that of the Contracting Party that defined this information as classified.
3. The Contracting Parties will not use the information received in the course of the cooperation against the interests of the Contracting Party that had provided this information.
4. The Contracting Parties shall not convey to a third party the information received in the course of the cooperation without the written consent of the Contracting Party that had provided this information.
5. The Contracting Parties shall comply with the copyright and the professional secrecy in the military field in the military industry or other rights in compliance with their respective internal legislation of the States of the Parties.
6. Temporary or final copying, transfer or forwarding of information, documents, methods or technologies produced during co-operation to the third persons will be allowed only in written consent of the other Contracting Party.
7. The obligation on provision of confidentiality of the Contracting Parties is also equally applied to the technical means, equipment, materials given to each other according to this Agreement.
8. The commitments of the Contracting Parties on provision of confidentiality, and such information or technical means, equipment and materials shall remain in force after termination of this Agreement until the Contracting Party which transmitted them will dispense the other Contracting Party from these obligations.
ARTICLE 7
The required expenditures regarding all cooperation activities implemented within this Agreement shall be covered on mutual agreement of the Contracting Parties.
ARTICLE 8
Any differences arising from the interpretation of the current Agreement shall be settled only through consultation and negotiations between the Contracting Parties.
ARTICLE 9
The provisions of this Agreement shall not affect the rights and obligations of the States of the Parties derived from other international treaties which they are parties of.
ARTICLE 10
This Agreement can be amended or supplemented on the mutual consent of the Contracting Parties with separate protocols as an integral part and which will enter into force according to the Article 11 of this Agreement.
ARTICLE 11
1. This Agreement shall enter into force on the date of receiving the last notification, by which the Contracting Parties notify each other in written form that the relevant national requirements for its entry into force have been fulfilled.
2. The current Agreement shall be concluded for a 5-year period and shall be automatically continued for another 5-year period unless either of the Contracting Parties notifies in written form at least six months in advance the other Contracting Party about its intention to terminate the Agreement.
Signed at Baku on 2. 3. 2011 in two original copies, in Slovenian, Azerbaijani and English languages, all texts being equally authentic. In case of divergence of interpretation or application of the provisions of this Agreement, the English version shall prevail.
FOR THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA Ljubica JELUŠIČ (s) PhD Minister of Defence
FOR THE MINISTRY OF DEFENCE OF THE REPUBLIC OF AZERBAIJAN Safar ABIYEV (s) Colonel General Minister of Defence