Alejandro Solano Ortiz, Acting Minister of Foreign Relations and Worship, and the diplomatic note dated September 22, 2014, signed by His Excellency Mr. Ingo Winkelmann, Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, the texts of which are as follows:
San José, December 8, 2014 DM-DGPE/0794-14 Your Excellency:
I have the honor to address Your Excellency, on the occasion of acknowledging receipt of your kind note dated September 22, 2014, which reads as follows:
"Your Excellency Mr. Minister:
With reference to the Joint Declaration of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety and the Ministry of Environment and Energy of Costa Rica of October 24, 2013, and in compliance with the Convention on Technical Cooperation, concluded between our two Governments on July 23, 1965, amended by the Protocol of Amendment of December 18, 2006, I have the honor to propose to Your Excellency, on behalf of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, the following Agreement on the project 'Implementation of the National Biological Corridors Program (PNCB) within the Framework of the National Biodiversity Strategy of Costa Rica', within the framework of the International Climate Protection Initiative of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety:
1. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica will jointly promote the project 'Implementation of the National Biological Corridors Program (PNCB) within the Framework of the National Biodiversity Strategy of Costa Rica,' provided that the feasibility of said promotion is confirmed following the examination of the project proposal.
TO HIS EXCELLENCY INGO WINKELMANN AMBASSADOR OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF GERMANY SAN JOSÉ 2. The objective of the project is to improve capacities to conserve biodiversity and the provision of its ecosystem services in the biological corridors of Costa Rica.
3. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany will provide human resources and furnish material contributions and, where appropriate, financial contributions for the project mentioned in paragraph 1 for a total value of up to 6,000,000 euros.
The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany will entrust the execution of this project to the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
4. On the part of the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica, the Ministry of Environment and Energy and the National System of Conservation Areas will be responsible for the execution of the project.
5. The details of the project and the respective contributions and obligations shall be set out in individual implementing agreements and, where appropriate, financing agreements, which shall be concluded between the executing organization mentioned in paragraph 3 and the institutions of the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica mentioned in paragraph 4 of this document. Said implementing contracts and, where appropriate, financing contracts shall be subject to the legal provisions in force in the Federal Republic of Germany.
6. The commitment of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany for the project shall become void if the implementing and, where appropriate, financing contracts mentioned in paragraph 5 are not concluded by December 31, 2017.
7. The Government of the Republic of Costa Rica shall exempt the materials, vehicles, goods, and equipment, as well as the respective spare parts, supplied for the project specified in paragraph 1 from all import and export duties and other public charges, including port fees.
8. In all other respects, the provisions of the aforementioned Convention of July 23, 1965, amended by the Protocol of Amendment of December 18, 2006, shall also apply to this Agreement.
9. This Agreement is concluded in German and Spanish, both texts being equally authentic.
Should the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica declare its agreement with the proposals contained in paragraphs 1 to 9, this Note and the Note in reply from Your Excellency expressing your Government's agreement shall constitute an Agreement between our Governments, which shall enter into force on the day the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica has communicated to the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany through the diplomatic channel the fulfillment of the necessary internal requirements for the entry into force of the Exchange of Notes. For these purposes, the date of receipt of said communication shall be the determining factor.
I take this opportunity to reiterate to you, Mr. Minister, the assurances of my highest and most distinguished consideration." Regarding this matter, I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that the foregoing proposal is acceptable to the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica and that Your Excellency's Note and the present note constitute an Agreement between our two Governments, which shall enter into force on the day the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica has communicated to the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, through the diplomatic channel, the fulfillment of the necessary internal requirements for the entry into force of this Exchange of Notes, on the understanding that the national institutions shall be governed by Costa Rican legislation in all matters legally pertinent and applicable.
I take this opportunity to reiterate to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest and distinguished consideration.
Alejandro Solano Ortiz Acting Minister