Vlada Republike Slovenije
in
Vlada Slovaške republike
(v nadaljnjem besedilu: pogodbenici) sta se,
zavedajoč se obstoja vojnih grobišč na ozemlju držav pogodbenic, kjer so pokopani posmrtni ostanki slovenskih in slovaških žrtev vojne,
v želji počastiti spomin nanje in jim zagotoviti dostojen kraj zadnjega počitka, z upoštevanjem humanitarnih načel in določb ženevskih konvencij z dne 12. avgusta 1949 o zaščiti žrtev vojne ter Dodatnega protokola k Ženevskim konvencijam z dne 12. avgusta 1949 o zaščiti žrtev mednarodnih oboroženih spopadov (Protokol I) z dne 8. junija 1977 in drugih določb mednarodnega humanitarnega prava,
dogovorili o naslednjem:
Za Vlado Slovaške republike Daniel Lipšic l.r.
the Government of the Republic of Slovenia
and
the Government of the Slovak Republic,
(hereinafter referred to as “Contracting Parties”),
taking into account the existence of the war graves in the territory of the States of the Contracting Parties, where the remains of the Slovenian and the Slovak war victims are placed,
wishing to honour their commemoration and to ensure them a dignified place of the last rest, following the principles of humanity and provisions of the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 for the protection of war victims and their Protocol Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949, and relating to the Protection of Victims of International Armed Conflicts (Protocol I), of 8 June 1977 and other provisions of international humanitarian law,
have agreed as follows:
Article 1
Definitions
For the purposes of this Agreement the following terms shall mean:
a) “war grave” shall mean the place where the remains of a war victim of the First and the Second World War and of events related thereto are placed, together with a tombstone, monument, memorial, other pious symbol or a commemorative place that reminds of a war event, including the graves of individuals and massive graves,
b) “Slovenian war grave” shall mean a war grave on the territory of the Slovak Republic, where Slovenian war victim with permanent residence in the territory of the present Republic of Slovenia is buried,
c) “Slovak war grave” shall mean a war grave on the territory of the Republic of Slovenia, where Slovak war victim with permanent residence in the territory of the present Slovak Republic is buried,
d) “arrangement of the war grave” shall mean the indication of the borders of burial-place and placement of the tombstone, monument, memorial and other commemorative object or their reconstruction,
e) “maintenance of the war grave” shall mean the maintenance of the war grave in the dignified and recognizable state,
f) “recognizable state of the war grave” shall mean such state, from which it can be clearly recognized, that it is a war grave, particularly through the data on name, surname, date of birth, date of death, place of death, citizenship, eventually nationality of the person whose remains are placed there.
Article 2
Forms of cooperation
(1) Contracting Parties shall perform the identification, evidence and shall ensure the arrangement and maintenance of the war graves on the territory of its States and pious treatment with them in accordance with this Agreement and the national legislation of its State and with respect to national, religious and other traditions of their States.
(2) Contracting Parties shall exchange:
a) information on the placement and state of the Slovak and the Slovenian war graves and on the newly-found Slovak and Slovenian war graves,
b) lists of the Slovak and the Slovenian war victims, buried in the territory of their States,
c) information on unlawful acts and serious damages caused on the Slovak and the Slovenian war graves and measures adopted for their eradication.
(3) Either Contracting Party shall enable the other Contracting Party in accordance with the national legislation of its State the access to the war graves in order to arrange and maintain them.
(4) Either Contracting Party shall enable the nationals, the members of the diplomatic corps and the registered civil associations of the other Contracting Party in accordance with the national legislation of its State, including the rules on public order, the access to the war graves in order to pay tribute to the war victims buried there.
Article 3
Use of the grounds
(1) The Contracting Parties shall ensure the free-of-charge use of the grounds on which the war graves of the State of the other Contracting Party are situated, under the reciprocity. That right shall lapse when the ground is no longer used for this specified purpose.
(2) Where the Contracting Party needs the ground pursuant to paragraph 1 for other purpose by reason of public interest, as a result of which the war grave should be arranged or replaced, it shall provide the other Contracting Party with the other suitable ground and shall bear all the related costs. Choice of the new ground shall be performed solely with the consent of the other Contracting Party. Property rights to the grounds pursuant to paragraph 1 shall not be affected by this Agreement.
(3) The Contracting Parties shall not place in the near surroundings of the war graves, constructions or establishments which are not admissible because of respect to such places, with the exception, if those were built before the placement of the remains.
Article 4
Exhumation, transport and re-interment
(1) Exhumation of the remains of the war victims and their transport for the purpose of the re-interment in the State of the other Contracting Party shall be carried out solely upon request of the Contracting Party concerned and with the consent of the Contracting Party in the territory of the State of which the remains of the war victim are situated. The request and the relevant reply shall be delivered through diplomatic channels.
(2) Provided the request is granted pursuant to paragraph 1, the competent authorities for the implementation of this Agreement shall agree upon the procedure of exhumation, transport and re-interment or handover of the remains.
(3) Exhumation, transport and re-interment pursuant to paragraph 1 shall be carried out by the competent authorities of the Contracting Parties. Representatives of the State of the other Contracting Party may be present at the exhumation and the re-interment.
(4) The record shall be written about every re-interment in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and by reason of ensuring the dignified place of the last final rest as well as respecting the provisions of international humanitarian law, personality rights of war victims and legal interests of their known relatives, including the data on the date of carrying out the exhumation and re-interment, of the previous and the new place of the war grave, and as well as the personal data of the war victims buried in those war graves, if known.
Article 5
Costs
(1) Either Contracting Party shall reimburse the costs for the arrangement and maintenance of the war graves situated in the territory of its State.
(2) Either Contracting Party may carry out with the consent of the other Contracting Party at its own expense the arrangement and maintenance of war graves of its State situated in the territory of the State of the other Contracting Party.
(3) Costs for provision of the activities according to Article 4 of this Agreement shall be borne by the requesting Contracting Party.
(4) Authorities competent for the implementation of this Agreement may agree in writing the other way of the reimbursement of the costs on a case-by-case basis.
Article 6
Implementation of the Agreement
(1) Authorities competent for the implementation of this Agreement shall be in the Slovak Republic the Ministry of Interior of the Slovak Republic and in the Republic of Slovenia the Ministry of Labour, Family and Social Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia. The Contracting Parties shall notify each other in case of any change of the authorities competent for the implementation of this Agreement through diplomatic channels.
(2) Authorities competent for the implementation of this Agreement may conclude the implementation protocols.
(3) Authorities competent for the implementation of this Agreement may empower the third parties to carry out the particular works arising from this Agreement.
Article 7
Commission
To solve the questions where the common procedure is needed, the Contracting Parties may establish the Joint Intergovernmental War Graves Commission. The list of its members shall be notified by Contracting Parties through the diplomatic channels.
Article 8
Settlement of disputes
Any dispute arisen at the implementation of this Agreement shall be solved through the mutual negotiation or through diplomatic channels.
Article 9
Final provisions
(1) This Agreement shall be concluded for an indefinite period.
(2) This Agreement shall enter into force on the ninetieth (90th) day from the date of receipt of the latter notification informing on the completion of the national requirements necessary for the entry into force of this Agreement.
(3) Either Contracting Party may suspend the implementation of this Agreement as a whole or in part, provided its sovereignty, security or public order is breached or endangered. The Contracting Parties shall inform forthwith each other through diplomatic channels of the adoption or annulment of such measure. Suspension or renewal of the implementation of this Agreement shall enter into force on the date referred to in the notification, however, not sooner than on the date of such delivery.
(4) Either Contracting Party may propose the amendment of this Agreement in writing; such amendment shall enter into force in a way and on the date referred to in paragraph 2.
(5) Either Contracting Party may terminate this Agreement in writing through diplomatic channels. The Agreement shall be terminated on the ninetieth (90th) day from the date of receipt of the notification on the termination by the other Contracting Party.
Done at Ljubljana on 16. 11. 2010 in two originals, each in the Slovenian, Slovak and English language, all texts being equally authentic. In case of any divergence in interpretation, the English text shall prevail.
For the Government
of the Republic of Slovenia
Ivan Svetlik (s)
For the Government
of the Slovak Republic
Daniel Lipšic (s)