Document 95-27866
13 September 1995
UNITED NATIONS
Interim Accord between the Hellenic Republic and the FYROM
NEW YORK, 13 September 1995
Contents
A. FRIENDLY RELATIONS AND CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES
Articles [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8]
B. HUMAN AND CULTURAL RIGHTS
Articles [9] [10]
C. INTERNATIONAL, MULTILATERAL AND REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS
Article [11]
D. TREATY RELATIONS
Articles [12] [13] [14]
E. ECONOMIC, COMMERCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND LEGAL RELATIONS
Articles [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20]
F. FINAL CLAUSES
Articles [21] [22] [23]
Minister Karolos Papoulias, representing the Party of the First
Part (the "Party of the First Part") and Minister Stevo
Crvenkovsky, representing the Party of the Second Part (the
"Party of the Second Part"), hereby DECLARE AND AGREE as follows:
Recalling the principle of the inviolability of frontiers and
the territorial integrity of States incorporated in the Final
Act of the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe,
signed in Helsinki,
Bearing in mind the provisions of the Charter of the United Nations and
in particular, those referring to the obligation of States to
refrain in their international relations from the threat or use
of force against the territorial integrity or political
independence of any State,
Guided by the spirit and principles of democracy and fundamental
freedoms and respect for human rights and dignity, in accordance
with the Charter of the United Nations, as well as the Helsinki Final Act, the Charter of Paris for a new Europe and pertinent
acts of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe,
Considering their mutual interest in the maintenance of
international peace and security, especially in their region,
Desiring to confirm the existing frontier between them as an
enduring international border,
Recalling their obligation not to intervene, on any pretext or
in any form, in the internal affairs of the other,
Desiring to develop their mutual relations and to lay firm
foundations for a climate of peaceful relations and
understanding,
Realizing that economic cooperation is an important element for
the development of mutual relations on a stable and firm basis,
as well as desiring to develop and promote future cooperation.
Desiring to reach certain interim agreements that will provide a
basis for negotiating a permanent Accord,
Have agreed as follows:
A. FRIENDLY RELATIONS AND CONFIDENCE-BUILDING MEASURES
1. Upon entry into force of this Interim Accord, the Party of
the First Part recognizes the Party of the Second Part as an
independent sovereign state, under the provisional designation
set forth in a letter of the Party of the First Part of the date
of this Interim Accord, and the Parties shall at an early date
establish diplomatic relations at an agreed level with the
ultimate goal of relations at ambassadorial level.
2. The Party of the First Part shall as promptly as possible
establish a liaison office in Skopje, the capital of the Party
of the Second Part, and the Party of the Second Part shall as
promptly as possible establish a liaison office in Athens, the
capital of the Party of the First Part.
The Parties hereby confirm their common existing frontier as an
enduring and inviolable international border.
Each Party undertakes to respect the sovereignty, the
territorial integrity and the political independence of the
other Party. Neither Party shall support the action of a third
party directed against the sovereignty, the territorial
integrity or the political independence of the other Party.
The Parties shall refrain, in accordance with the purposes and
principles of the Charter of the United Nations, from the threat
or use of force, including the threat or use of force designed
to violate their existing frontier, and they agree that neither
of them will assert or support claims to any part of the
territory of the other Party or claims for a change of their
existing frontier.
1. The Parties agree to continue negotiations under the auspices
of the Secretary-General of the United Nations pursuant to
Security Council resolution 845 (1993) with a view to reaching
agreement on the difference described in that resolution and in
Security Council resolution 817 (1993).
2.. Recognizing the difference between them with respect to the
name of the Party of the Second Part, each Party reserves all of
its rights consistent with the specific obligations undertaken
in this Interim Accord. The Parties shall cooperate with a view
to facilitating their mutual relations notwithstanding their
respective positions as to the name of the Party of the Second
Part. In this context, the Parties shall take practical
measures, including dealing with the matter of documents, to
carry out normal trade and commerce between them in a manner
consistent with their respective positions in regard to the name
of the Party to the Second Part. The Parties shall take
practical measures so that the difference about the name of the
Party to the Second Part will not obstruct or interfere with
normal trade and commerce between the Party of the Second Part
and third parties.
1. The Party of the Second Part hereby solemnly declares that
nothing in its Constitution, and in particular in the Preamble
thereto or in Article 3 of the Constitution, can or should be
interpreted as constituting or will ever constitute the basis of
any claim by the Party of the Second Part to any territory not
within its existing borders.
2. The Party of the Second Part hereby solemnly declares that
nothing in its Constitution, and in particular in
Article 49 as
amended, can or should be interpreted as constituting or will
ever constitute the basis for the Party of the Second Part to
interfere in the internal affairs of another State in order to
protect the status and rights of any persons in other States who
are not citizens of the Party to the Second Part.
3. The Party of the Second Part furthermore solemnly declares
that the interpretations given in paragraph 1 and 2 of this Article will not be superseded by any other interpretation of
its Constitution.
1. Each Party shall promptly take effective measures to prohibit
hostile activities or propaganda by State-controlled agencies
and to discourage acts by private entities likely to incite
violence, hatred or hostility against each other.
2. Upon entry into force of this Interim Accord, the Party of
the Second Part shall cease to use in any way the symbol in all
its forms displayed on its national flag prior to such entry
into force.
3. If either Party believes one or more symbols constituting
part of its historic or cultural patrimony is being used by the
other Party, it shall bring such alleged use to the attention of
the other Party, and the other Party shall take appropriate
corrective action or indicate why it does not consider it
necessary to do so.
1. The Parties shall refrain from imposing any impediment to the
movement of people or goods between their territories or through
the territory of either Party to the territory of the other.
Both Parties shall cooperate to facilitate such movements in
accordance with international law and custom.
2. The Parties agree that the European Union and the United
States may be requested to use their good offices with respect
to developing practical measures referred to in paragraph 2 of
Article 5 so as to assist the Parties in the implementation of
Article 8.
B. HUMAN AND CULTURAL RIGHTS
1. In the conduct of their affairs the Parties shall be guided
by the spirit and principles of democracy, fundamental freedoms,
respect for human rights and dignity, and the rule of law, in
accordance with the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the
International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of
Racial Discrimination, the Convention on the Rights of the
Child, the Helsinki Final Act, the document of the Copenhagen
Meeting of the Conference on the Human Dimension of the
Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe and the Charter of Paris for a New Europe.
2. No provision of the instruments listed in paragraph 1 above
shall be interpreted to give any right to take any action
contrary to the aims and principles of the Charter of the United Nations, or of the Helsinki Final Act, including the principle
of the territorial integrity of States.
Convinced that the development of human relations is necessary
for improving understanding and good-neighbourliness of their two
peoples, the Parties shall encourage contacts at all appropriate
levels and shall not discourage meetings between their citizens
in accordance with international law and custom.
C. INTERNATIONAL, MULTILATERAL AND REGIONAL INSTITUTIONS
1. Upon entry into force of this Interim Accord, The Party of
the First Part agrees not to object to the application by or the
membership of the Party of the Second Part in international,
multilateral and regional organizations and institutions of
which the Party of the First Part is a member; however, the
Party of the First Part reserves the right to object to any
membership referred to above if and to the extent of the Party
of the Second Part is to be referred to in such organization or
institution differently than in paragraph 2 of the United
Nations Security Council resolution 817 (1993).
2. The Parties agree that the ongoing economic development of
the Party of the Second Part should be supported through
international cooperation, as far as possible by a close
relationship of the Party of the Second Part with the European
Economic Area and the European Union.
D. TREATY RELATIONS
1. Upon entry into force of this Interim Accord, the Parties
shall in their relations be directed by the provisions of the
following bilateral agreements that had been concluded between
the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the
Party of the First Part on 18 June 1959:
- (a) The convention concerning mutual legal relations,
- (b) The agreement concerning the reciprocal recognition and the
enforcement of judicial decisions, and
- (c) The agreement concerning hydro-economic questions.
The Parties shall promptly consult with a view to entering into
new agreements substantially similar to those referred to above.
2. The Parties shall consult with each other in order to
identify other agreements concluded between the former Socialist
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Party of the First Part
that will be deemed suitable for application in their mutual
relations.
3. The Parties may conclude additional bilateral agreements in
areas of mutual interest.
Having regard to the fact that the Party of the Second Part is a
land-locked State, the Parties shall be guided by the applicable
provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea as far as practicable both in practice and when concluding
agreements referred to in Article 12.
1. The Parties shall encourage the development of friendly and
good-neighborly relations between them and shall reinforce their
economic cooperation in all sectors, including that of water
resources management. In particular they shall promote, on a
reciprocal basis, road, rail, maritime and air transport and
communication links, using the best available technologies, and
facilitate the transit of their goods between them and through
their territories and ports. The Parties shall observe
international rules and regulations with respect to transit,
telecommunications, signs and codes.
2. To this end the Parties agree to enter forthwith into
negotiations aimed at promptly implementing agreements of
cooperation in the aforementioned areas, taking into account the
obligations of the Party of the First Part deriving from its
membership in the European Union and from other international
instruments. Such agreements shall relate to visas, work
permits, "green card" insurance, airspace transit and economic
cooperation.
E. ECONOMIC, COMMERCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND LEGAL RELATIONS
1. The Parties shall strengthen their economic relations in all
fields.
2. The Parties shall in particular support development and
cooperation in the field of capital investments, as well as
industrial cooperation between enterprises. Special attention
shall be paid to cooperation between small and medium-size
companies and enterprises.
1. The Parties shall develop and improve scientific and
technical cooperation as well as cooperation in the field of
education.
2. The Parties shall intensify their exchanges of information
and of scientific and technical documentation, and shall strive
to improve mutual access to scientific and research
institutions, archives, libraries and similar institutions.
3. The Parties shall support initiatives by scientific
institutions and by individuals aimed at improving cooperation
in the sciences.
1. The Parties shall take great care to avoid dangers to the
environment and to preserve natural living conditions in the
lakes and rivers shared by the two Parties.
2. The Parties shall cooperate in eliminating all forms of
pollution in border areas.
3. The Parties shall strive to develop and harmonize strategies
and programs for regional and international cooperation for
protecting the environment.
The Parties shall cooperate in alleviating the consequences of
disasters.
1. The Parties shall cooperate in improving and promoting
business and tourist travel.
2. Consistent with the obligations of the Party of the First
Part arising from its membership in the European Union and from
relevant instruments of the Union, the Parties shall make joint
efforts to improve and accelerate customs and border
formalities, including simplification in the issuance of visas
to each other's citizens, taking into account Article 5,
paragraph 2, of this Interim Accord.
3. The Parties shall endeavor to improve and modernize existing
border crossings as required by the flow of traffic, and
construct new border crossings as necessary.
The Parties shall cooperate in the fight against organized
crime, terrorism, economic crimes, narcotics crimes, illegal
trade in cultural property, offenses against civil air transport
and counterfeiting.
F. FINAL CLAUSES
1. The Parties shall settle any disputes exclusively by peaceful
means in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.
2. Any difference or dispute that arises between the Parties
concerning the interpretation or implementation of this Interim
Accord may be submitted by either of them to the International
Court of Justice, except for the differences referred to in
Article 5, paragraph 1.
This Interim Accord is not directed against any other State or
entity and it does not infringe on the rights and duties
resulting from bilateral and multilateral agreements already in
force that the Parties have concluded with other States or
international organizations.
1. This Interim Accord shall enter into force and become
effective on the thirtieth day following the date on which it is
signed by the representatives of the Parties as set forth below.
2. This Interim Accord shall remain in force until superseded by
a definitive agreement, provided that after seven years either
Party may withdraw from this Interim Accord by a written notice,
which shall take effect 12 months after its delivery to the
other Party.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF the Parties have, through their authorized
representatives, signed three copies of this Interim Accord in
the English language which shall be registered with the
Secretariat of the United Nations. Within two months of the date
of signature, the United Nations is to prepare, in consultation
with the Parties, translations into the language of the Party of
the First Part and the language of the Party of the Second Part,
which shall constitute part of the registration of this Accord.
_______________________________ _________________________________
Representative of the Representative of the
Party of the First Part Party of the Second Part
WITNESSED, in accordance with Resolution 845 (1993) of the Security Council, by:
______________________________________
Cyrus Vance
Special Envoy of the Secretary-General
of the United Nations
DONE at New York on the 13th day of September 1995
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