Desiring to safeguard the principle of reciprocity and facilitate travel by ensuring visa-free entry and short stay for the citizens of the Contracting Parties who are holders of valid service passports;
With a view to further developing friendly relations and continuing to strengthen their close ties;
Have agreed as follows:
Article 1
Purpose and scope
In accordance with the provisions of this Agreement, citizens of the Contracting Parties who are holders of valid service passports shall be allowed to enter into, transit through and stay in the territory of the other Contracting Party without a visa for a maximum period of 90 days during any 180 days period.
Article 2
Definitions
For the purpose of this Agreement:
“Service passport” shall refer to the service passport of the Republic of Slovenia and to the service passport of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Article 3
Conditions of visa waiver and stay
1. The visa waiver provided under this Agreement shall apply without prejudice to the laws of the Contracting Parties on the conditions of entry and short stay. The Contracting Parties reserve the right to refuse entry into and short stay in their respective territories if one or more of these conditions are not met.
2. During their stay, the citizens of the Republic of Slovenia benefiting from this Agreement shall abide by the laws and regulations in force in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
3. During their stay, the citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan benefiting from this Agreement shall abide by the laws and regulations in force in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia.
4. Citizens of either Contracting Party who are holders of valid service passports shall have the right to enter into, transit through and leave the territory of the other Contracting Party at all border crossing points open for international passenger traffic.
Article 4
Duration of stay
1. The citizens of the Republic of Slovenia holding a valid service passport may stay in the territory of the Republic of Azerbaijan for a maximum period of 90 days during any 180 days period.
2. The citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan holding a valid service passport may stay in the territory of the Republic of Slovenia for a maximum period of 90 days during any 180 days period.
3. This Agreement shall not affect the possibility for the Contracting Parties to extend the period of stay beyond 90 days in accordance with their respective national law.
Article 5
Exchange of passport specimens
1. The Contracting Parties shall exchange, through diplomatic channels, specimens of their valid service passports no later than thirty days following the date of the signing of this Agreement.
2. In case a Contracting Party introduces new service passports or modifies existing ones, it shall send to the other Contracting Party, through diplomatic channels, specimens of new or modified passports, including the details of their security features and applicability, no later than thirty days before their application.
Article 6
Temporary suspension
Either Contracting Party shall reserve the right to temporarily, in whole or in part, suspend the implementation of the present Agreement for reasons of national security or public order. The other Party shall be notified of temporary suspension of the present Agreement through diplomatic channels at least 72 hours prior to the introduction of such a measure. Temporary suspension of the present Agreement does not affect the rights of citizens referred to in Article 1 of the present Agreement who are already on the territory of the host Party.
Article 7
Amendments
The Agreement may be amended by mutually agreed separate protocols of the Contracting Parties. The amendments shall take effect in compliance with paragraph 1 hereof.
Article 8
Settlement of disputes
Any dispute regarding the application or interpretation of this Agreement shall be resolved between the Contracting Parties through consultations and/or negotiations.
Article 9
Final provisions
1. The Agreement shall enter into force on the first day of the month following the date of receipt of the last written notification by which the Contracting Parties notify each other that their internal legal procedures for the Agreement’s entry into force have been completed.
2. The Agreement shall be concluded for an indefinite period of time. Either Contracting Party may terminate it by giving written notice to the other. The Agreement shall cease to apply ninety days following the receipt of such notification.
Done at Baku, on 16 January 2013 in two originals in Slovenian, Azerbaijani and English, each text being equally authentic. In case of differences in interpretation, the English text shall prevail.
For the Government
of the Republic of Slovenia
Milan Jazbec (s)
For the Government
of the Republic of Azerbaijan
Galib Israfilov (s)