Honorable Madam:
I have the honor to address Your Excellency on the occasion of acknowledging receipt of your kind note N.V. No. 180/2019 dated October 20, 2019, which reads as follows:
"His Excellency Mr. Manuel Ventura Robles:
In compliance with the Convention on Technical Cooperation, concluded between our two Governments on July 23, 1965, as well as the Amendment Protocols of March 13, 1986, and 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 additional Agreement on the project "Promotion of the climate neutrality strategy of Costa Rica as a low-carbon emission development model (Phase II)", 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 continue the promotion of the project "Promotion of the climate neutrality strategy of Costa Rica as a low-carbon emission development model (Phase II)", if, after examination, it continues to be eligible for support.
2. The project objective is to contribute to climate protection and sustainable development in the Republic of Costa Rica, through the promotion of measures for the mitigation of greenhouse gases.
3. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany will provide additional human resources and will make additional material contributions and, if applicable, additional financial contributions for the project for a total amount of up to 1,000,000 euros (in words: one million euros).
It shall entrust the implementation to the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
4. On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica, the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) shall be responsible for the project implementation.
5. The details of the project and of the respective contributions and obligations shall be established in an implementation contract and, if applicable, a financing contract to be concluded between the GIZ and the institution to which the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica entrusts the project implementation, and which 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 be null and void if the implementation contract and, if applicable, the financing contract mentioned in paragraph 5, are not concluded within a period of four years, counting from the year of entry into force of this Agreement. For the amount in question, the period shall expire on December 31, 2023.
7. The Government of the Republic of Costa Rica shall exempt the materials, vehicles, goods, and equipment imported for the project on behalf and at the expense of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as the respective supplies used for the project mentioned in paragraph 1, from all import and export duties, as well as licenses, port fees, storage charges, and other public levies, and shall ensure that they clear customs without delay.
8. The Government of the Republic of Costa Rica shall exempt the GIZ from all direct taxes accruing in the Republic of Costa Rica in connection with the conclusion and implementation of the implementation contract and, if applicable, the financing contract mentioned in paragraph 5.
9. The Government of the Republic of Costa Rica shall, at the request of the GIZ, reimburse the value-added tax or other similar indirect taxes that have been applied in the Republic of Costa Rica on items purchased and services used in connection with the conclusion and implementation of the implementation contract and, if applicable, the financing contract mentioned in paragraph 5. Special consumption taxes applied in this context shall be borne by the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica upon request.
10. This Agreement shall apply both to the project mentioned in paragraph 1 and to future follow-up measures with the same title in the event that our two Governments wish to continue the promotion of the project. The commitments of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany regarding the granting of promotion for follow-up measures to the project mentioned in paragraph 1 shall be communicated by official communication from the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, which will make explicit reference to this Agreement.
11. Moreover, the provisions of the Convention on Technical Cooperation of July 23, 1965, and the Amendment Protocols of March 13, 1986, and December 18, 2006, mentioned at the beginning, shall also apply to this Agreement.
12. This Agreement is concluded in German and Spanish, both texts being equally authentic.
In this regard, I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that the foregoing proposal is acceptable to the Government of Costa Rica and that Your Excellency's note and the present one 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 diplomatic channels, the fulfillment of the internal requirements necessary for the entry into force of this Exchange of Notes.
I take this opportunity to reiterate to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest and most distinguished consideration.
His Excellency Mr. Manuel Ventura Robles:
In compliance with the Convention on Technical Cooperation, concluded between our two Governments on July 23, 1965, as well as the Amendment Protocols of March 13, 1986, and 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 additional Agreement on the project "Promotion of the climate neutrality strategy of Costa Rica as a low-carbon emission development model (Phase II)", 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 continue the promotion of the project "Promotion of the climate neutrality strategy of Costa Rica as a low-carbon emission development model (Phase II)", if, after examination, it continues to be eligible for support.
2. The project objective is to contribute to climate protection and sustainable development in the Republic of Costa Rica, through the promotion of measures for the mitigation of greenhouse gases.
3. The Government of the Federal Republic of Germany will provide additional human resources and will make additional material contributions and, if applicable, additional financial contributions for the project for a total amount of up to 1,000,000 euros (in words: one million euros).
It shall entrust the implementation to the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH.
4. On behalf of the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica, the Ministry of Environment and Energy (MINAE) shall be responsible for the project implementation.
5. The details of the project and of the respective contributions and obligations shall be established in an implementation contract and, if applicable, a financing contract to be concluded between the GIZ and the institution to which the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica entrusts the project implementation, and which 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 be null and void if the implementation contract and, if applicable, the financing contract mentioned in paragraph 5 are not concluded within a period of four years, counting from the year of entry into force of this Agreement. For the amount in question, the period shall expire on December 31, 2023.
7. The Government of the Republic of Costa Rica shall exempt the materials, vehicles, goods, and equipment imported for the project on behalf and at the expense of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, as well as the respective supplies used for the project mentioned in paragraph 1, from all import and export duties, as well as licenses, port fees, storage charges, and other public levies, and shall ensure that they clear customs without delay.
8. The Government of the Republic of Costa Rica shall exempt the GIZ from all direct taxes accruing in the Republic of Costa Rica in connection with the conclusion and implementation of the implementation contract and, if applicable, the financing contract mentioned in paragraph 5.
9. The Government of the Republic of Costa Rica shall, at the request of the GIZ, reimburse the value-added tax or other similar indirect taxes that have been applied in the Republic of Costa Rica on items purchased and services used in connection with the conclusion and implementation of the implementation contract and, if applicable, the financing contract mentioned in paragraph 5. Special consumption taxes applied in this context shall be borne by the Government of the Republic of Costa Rica upon request.
10. This Agreement shall apply both to the project mentioned in paragraph 1 and to future follow-up measures with the same title in the event that our two Governments wish to continue the promotion of the project. The commitments of the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany regarding the granting of promotion for follow-up measures to the project mentioned in paragraph 1 shall be communicated by official communication from the Government of the Federal Republic of Germany, which will make explicit reference to this Agreement.
11. Moreover, the provisions of the Convention on Technical Cooperation of July 23, 1965, and the Amendment Protocols of March 13, 1986, and December 18, 2006, mentioned at the beginning, shall also apply to this Agreement.
12. 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 12, this Note and the Note in response 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 diplomatic channels, the fulfillment of the internal requirements necessary for the entry into force of this Exchange of Notes.
I take this opportunity to reiterate to Your Excellency, Mr. Manuel Ventura Robles, the testimony of my highest and most distinguished consideration.