Com a entrada em vigor do presente Acordo cessa a vigência do Acordo Comercial e Económico e de Cooperação Técnica entre o Governo da República Portuguesa e o Governo do Reino Hachemita da Jordânia, assinado em Amã em 13 de Maio de 1980.
Feito em Amã aos 17 de Fevereiro de 2008, em dois originais, nas línguas portuguesa e inglesa, fazendo os dois textos igualmente fé. Em caso de divergência de interpretação, o texto inglês prevalecerá.
Pela República Portuguesa:
Luís Amado, Ministro de Estado e dos Negócios Estrangeiros.
Pelo Reino Hachemita da Jordânia:
Amer Al Hadidi, Ministro da Indústria e Comércio.
AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PORTUGUESE REPUBLIC AND THE HASHEMITE KINGDOM OF JORDAN ON ECONOMIC COOPERATION
The Portuguese Republic and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, hereinafter referred to as the Parties;
Aware of the importance of economic cooperation for the development and diversification of relations between the Parties;
Having the aim to intensify and diversify their bilateral relations, and actively develop economic cooperation based on equality and mutual benefit that will allow the Parties to take full advantage of the possibilities created by economic development and provide an enhanced quality of life for the population of both;
Considering that the Agreement on Trade and Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Government of Portugal and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, signed in Amman on 13 May 1980, is outdated in the presence of the realities of present-day economic relations between the two countries;
Considering that the Euro-Mediterranean Agreement establishing an Association between the European Communities and their Member States, of the one part, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, of the other part, signed in Brussels on 24 November 1997 is in force;
agree as follows:
Article 1
Scope of cooperation
- 1 -The Parties shall promote the economic cooperation between each other, with the purpose of intensifying and diversifying their bilateral relations.
- 2 -The Parties shall define the areas and sectors in which to enhance their cooperation, having in mind the balanced development of bilateral relations and their respective priorities in economic policy.
Article 2
Compliance with multilateral conventions
No provision of the present Agreement shall affect the international rights and obligations of the Parties assumed in the context of international multilateral agreements, of their participation in international organizations, or under European Community law.
Article 3
Cooperation mechanisms
Without prejudice to other beneficial measures for the development and diversification of bilateral cooperation, and with a view to reinforcing trade and investment flows in both directions and cooperation with third countries, the Parties, whilst respecting their internal Law in force and their commitments under other International Agreements, agree to:
- a)Foster the promotion of contacts between public and private institutions, including exchanges of experts, in formats to be decided between the entities involved;
- b)Encourage the intensification of reciprocal contacts and business initiatives, such as business missions, fairs and exhibitions of goods, image promotion actions, as well as other initiatives designed to encourage cooperation between the economic agents and their respective representative organisations;
- c)Promote the development of modern forms of cooperation such as the creation of joint-venture enterprises, subcontracts, management contracts, research, exchanges of technologies and joint manufacturing of goods;
- d)Make available information to the economic agents of both countries about concrete opportunities for cooperation and the development of bilateral relations;
- e)Encourage economic organisations and enterprises from both Parties to enter into long term programmes, agreements and contracts between themselves;
- f)Deploy efforts to make possible economic training programmes for senior management of Public Administration in relation to economy and the private sector of the two countries, with the objective to provide a better understanding of each country's economic reality and the potential offered by the two economies.
Article 4
Entrepreneurial cooperation
- 1 -The Parties shall develop and foster relations between the economic agents of both countries in the manufactured goods and services sectors, as well the realisation of investment projects and the creation of joint-ventures.
- 2 -The Parties likewise agree to promote economic cooperation between small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).
Article 5
Incentives to cooperation
- 1 -The Parties undertake, where possible and in conformity with the legislation in force in their respective territories, favourable conditions for financing projects falling within the scope of the present Agreement.
- 2 -The Parties shall facilitate, in accordance with their existing domestic legislation, the establishment in their territory of representative offices of economic organisations and enterprises of the other country.
Article 6
Industrial and intellectual property
The Parties, in the domains falling within the scope of cooperation, shall safeguard industrial and intellectual property rights, specifically those connected with trade, in accordance with their domestic law and with the international conventions by which they are bound.
Article 7
Joint Economic Committee
- 1 -A Joint Economic Committee is hereby established, comprising government representatives from both Parties responsible for bilateral economic relations and cooperation.
- 2 -The Joint Committee shall meet at the demand of either Party, by mutual agreement, alternately in Portugal and Jordan, with date and venue to be agreed by diplomatic channels.
- 3 -Among other issues, the Joint Economic Committee shall monitor and be responsible for the adequate implementation of the present Agreement, specifically by identifying the most relevant areas of cooperation, approving proposals for the reinforcement of economic cooperation, consulting on any matter which might arise in the course of the development of economic relations between both countries providing recommendations and contributing to the detection and resolution of any problems resulting from its implementation.
- 4 -If necessary, the Joint Economic Committee may establish working groups to deal with specific subjects.
- 5 -The Joint Economic Committee shall approve its own rules of procedure.
Article 8
Settlement of disputes
Any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of the present Agreement, which is not solved in the context of the Joint Economic Committee, shall be settled through negotiation, through the diplomatic channels.
Article 9
Amendments
- 1 -The present Agreement may be amended by request of one of the Parties.
- 2 -The amendments shall enter into force in accordance with the terms specified in article 11 of the present Agreement.
Article 10
Duration and termination
- 1 -This Agreement shall be concluded for an unlimited period.
- 2 -Each Party may terminate this Agreement, by means of a written notification through diplomatic channels to the other Party.
- 3 -The termination shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month following the date on which the notification was received by the other Party.
- 4 -The termination of this Agreement shall not affect the implementation of programmes and projects drawn up while this Agreement was in force unless the Parties agree to otherwise.
Article 11
Entry into force
The present Agreement shall enter into force thirty days after the date of receipt of the later of the notifications, in writing through diplomatic channels, conveying the completion of the internal procedures of each Party required for that purpose.
Article 12
Revocation
Upon the entry into force of this Agreement, the Agreement on Trade and Economic and Technical Cooperation between the Government of Portugal and the Government of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, signed in Amman on 13 May 1980, shall be terminated.
Done in Amman, on the 17th February 2008, in two copies, each in the portuguese and english languages, both linguistic versions being equally authentic. For the purposes of interpretation, the english version shall prevail.
For the Portuguese Republic:
Luís Amado, Minister of State and Foreign Affairs.
For the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan:
Amer Al Hadidi, Minister of Industry and Trade.