(7) AGREEMENT ON COOPERATION IN THE EXPLORATION OF OUTER SPACE FOR PEACEFUL PURPOSES(Signed on July 13, 1973, Proclaimed on March 25, 1977) The Governments of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, the Hungarian People's Republic, the German Democratic Republic, the Republic of Cuba, the Mongolian People's Republic, the Polish People's Republic, the Socialist Republic of Romania, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, hereinafter referred to as "the Contracting Parties", DESIRING to extend further the fraternal friendship and multilateral co-operation among them, HAVING REGARD to the tasks involved in the implementation of the Comprehensive Programme for the further intensification and improvement of co-operation and the development of the socialist economic integration of the member countries of the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance, RECOGNIZING the desirability of a closer and more effective joining of forces in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes, DESIRING to connoneate the accumulated positive experience of co-operation among them in this field, TAKING ACCOUNT of the great practical significance of the results of space research to various branches of the national economy, CONVINCED that the development of international co-operation in the exploration and use of outer space, including the Moon and other celestial bodies, for peaceful purposes will serve the interests of the peoples of the entire world, BEARING IN MIND the provisions of the Treaty on Principles Governing the Activities of States in the Exploration and Use of Outer Space, including the Moon and Other Celestial Bodies, of 27 January 1967, *Text reproduced from a letter dated 4 October 1976 from the Acting Permanent Representative of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General, A/C.1/31/3 5 October 1976 (original in Russian). HAVE AGREED AS FOLLOWS: Article 1 The Contracting Parties shall promote in every way the further development of co-operation by interested organizations of their countries in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes. Article 2 Continuing and further developing the programme of joint space research adopted in 1967 (the "Intercosmos" programme), co-operation shall be carried on in the following basic areas: Study of the physical properties of outer space; Space meteorology; Space biology and medicine; Space communications; Study of the natural environment by means of space devices. Article 3 Co-operation in the basic areas enumerated in article 2 of this Agreement may be carried on in the following forms: (a) The launching of space objects for scientific and applications purposes; (b) The production of apparatus for conducting joint space research; (c) Experiments on board geophysical and meteorological rockets; (d) The conduct of joint observations and experimental and theoretical research on space subjects; (e) The processing, analysis and utilization of the results of joint space research for scientific and applications purposes, and the preparation of joint publications; (f) The holding of consultations between interested countries and the provision, in accordance with special agreements, of mutual scientific and technical assistance, including the exchange of technology, on individual subjects and projects in the field of the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes; (g) The holding of symposia, conferences, seminars and other meetings; (h) The exchange of scientific and technical documentation and information. Article 4 The Contracting Parties may determine other areas and forms of co-operation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes. Article 5 The co-ordination of work for the implementation of this Agreement in each country shall be entrusted to a national co-ordinating organ for co-operation in the exploration and use of outer space (hereinafter referred to as "the national organ"). Article 6 Co-operation between the interested organizations of the Contracting Parties shall be carried on on the basis of agreed programmes and plans which define the conditions for the conduct of specific space experiments and investigations. Depending on their interest, organizations of all the Contracting Parties or of some of them may participate in the said programmes and plans. Each Contracting Party shall finance the work and measures conducted by its organizations on the basis of the documents referred to in this article, except as otherwise provided by special agreements. Article 7 The adoption of decisions and recommendations on programmes and plans for joint work conducted in accordance with this Agreement, and the consideration of questions relating to the organization of co-operation, including the establishment and activity of permanently functioning mixed working groups, shall be carried out by the Meeting of Leaders of National Organs (hereinafter referred to as "the Meeting"). Sessions of the Meeting shall be held at least once a year, as a rule, successively in the countries participating in this Agreement. The chairman of each session of the Meeting shall be the leader of the national organ of the country in which the session is held. During the period between sessions of the Meeting, general co-ordination of the activities of the national organs for the implementation of this Agreement shall be carried on by the national organ of the depositary country. Article 8 Decisions and recommendations of the Meeting shall be adopted by a majority of the votes of the leaders of the national organs and shall be recorded in an appropriate protocol. The leader of each national organ shall have one vote in the Meeting. Decisions and recommendations of the Meeting shall not be binding on those Contracting Parties which did not vote for their adoption. However, those Parties may, if they are interested, subsequently accede to the said decisions and recommendations. Questions relating to co-operation involving only some of the Contracting Parties shall be decided by agreement between the leaders of the national organs of those Parties. Article 9 The agreed space experiments and investigations shall be carried out by the interested organizations acting within the permanently functioning mixed working groups in the basic areas of co-operation. Article 10 The scientific results of joint space experiments and investigations may, by agreement between all the countries participating in them, be given to scientists and scientific organizations and institutions of other countries. Article 11 This Agreement shall not affect the rights and duties of the Contracting Parties arising out of other international agreements concluded by them or the right of the Contracting Parties to conclude between themselves or with third States other multilateral and bilateral agreements in matters of co-operation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes. Article 12 This Agreement is subject to ratification or approval in accordance with the legislation of the Contracting Parties. The instruments of ratification or certificates of approval shall be deposited with the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, which is designated as the depositary of the Agreement. This Agreement shall enter into force after the deposit of instruments of ratification or certificates of approval by six Contracting Parties. In respect of Contracting Parties whose instruments of ratification or certificates of approval are deposited after the entry into force of the Agreement, it shall enter into force on the date of the deposit of their instruments of ratification or certificates of approval. Article 13 Other countries may also accede to this Agreement with the consent of the Contracting Parties. A statement in writing concerning the accession shall be transmitted to the depositary, which shall inform all the Contracting Parties of that fact. Accession to the Agreement shall be considered to have taken place on the date of the reception by the depositary of the consent thereto, in writing, of two thirds of the Contracting Parties. Article 14 This Agreement shall remain in force for a term of 10 years. It shall continue in force for successive periods of five years in respect of each Contracting Party which does not, six months before the ex- Article 15 Any Contracting Party may dissociate itself from this Agreement by transmitting a notice in writing to that effect after 12 months to the depositary, which shall immediately inform all the Contracting Parties of the said notice. Article 16 The original of this Agreement shall be deposited in the archives of the depositary, which shall send duty centified copies of this Agreement to all the Contracting Parties. Done in Moscow on 13 July 1976, in one copy in the Russian language.