Uredba o ratifikaciji Protokola med Vlado Republike Slovenije in Svetom ministrov Bosne in Hercegovine o sodelovanju na področju izobraževanja

The Government of the Republic of Slovenia, represented by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Slovenia,

and

the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina, represented by the Ministry of Civil Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina, hereinafter “the Parties”,

desiring to develop and enhance the cooperation in the field of education between the Republic of Slovenia and Bosnia and Herzegovina,

convinced that such cooperation will help improve understanding and enhance the general relations between the two countries,

proceeding from Article 15 of the Agreement of the Government of the Republic of Slovenia and the Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina on cooperation in the field of culture, education and science signed on 19 October 1999 in Ljubljana and still valid,

have agreed as follows:

The Parties, in accordance with the objectives of this Protocol, shall develop their cooperation in the field of elementary, secondary and higher education and therefore support direct cooperation and contacts between educational establishments and universities and other higher education establishments.

Pupils who are citizens of the country of one of the Parties and live in the territory of the country of the other Party shall have the right to attend elementary school and prepare for elementary school under the same conditions as the citizens of the country on whose territory they live.

The Parties agree that their citizens shall enrol in secondary and tertiary education in the country of the other Party under the same conditions as the citizens of that Party.

The Parties agree that students who are citizens of the other Party shall be subject to the same criteria concerning the payment of tuition fees for tertiary education as domestic students.

As regards studies and the regulation of other matters in tertiary education the principles of the autonomy of establishments shall apply.

The Parties shall support the introduction of joint postgraduate studies among interested higher education establishments in fields of mutual interest. They shall provide all necessary assistance in the fulfilment of the necessary conditions for the initiation of joint studies in accordance with their national legislation.

The Parties shall annually exchange up to eighteen (18) monthly scholarships for advanced studies at higher education establishments with duration of 3 to 6 months for candidates aged up to 26.

Scholarship holders shall be guaranteed residence and other subsidies and a monthly scholarship to an amount determined by the national legislation of each Party. The Parties shall annually notify each other of the structure and amount of scholarships and other conditions.

The obligations foreseen by this Protocol shall be implemented on the part of Bosnia and Herzegovina by authorities competent for education in entities, cantons and Brčko District.

The Parties agree to notify each other, by the end of June of each year at the latest, about the number of students-citizens of the other party who enrolled in the previous academic year.

The Parties shall enhance mutual cooperation in the field of education especially with the aim of exchanging their experience with reform of the education system as a part of the process of stabilisation and accession to the European Union and shall to this end, either directly or in the framework of multilateral programmes, cooperate in different projects of mutual interest.

The Parties shall especially support mutual cooperation in the field of higher education in the framework of multilateral programmes of the European Union and the CEEPUS regional programme.

The Parties shall also promote direct cooperation of other interested organisations and individuals in the field of higher education.

The Parties shall mutually promote and enable the studies and teaching of Slovenian and the official languages of Bosnia and Herzegovina as well as respective literatures in both parties.

The Parties shall support the development and progress of teaching their mother tongue and culture for children and youths who are members of the Slovenian community in Bosnia and Herzegovina or members of the Bosnia-Herzegovinian community in the Republic of Slovenia.

In the field of sport and youth, both parties especially welcome direct contacts among sport and youth organisations of both countries. They recommend the exchange of information and documentation.

In order to monitor the implementation of the Protocol, the Parties have decided to found a joint committee consisting of the same number of representatives of both Parties. The joint committee meetings shall take place as necessary on request of one of the Parties, but alternately in the Republic of Slovenia and in Bosnia in Herzegovina.

All forms of cooperation shall take place in accordance with the national legislation of the Parties.

The Parties may propose amendments to this Protocol at any time. Such proposed amendments shall be communicated to the other party through diplomatic channels.

The amendments shall enter into force upon the receipt of the written consent with the proposed amendments of the other Party through diplomatic channels.

The Parties shall resolve any other open issues that are within their competence by common consent and through diplomatic channels.

This Protocol shall be provisionally applied by the Parties upon signature. It shall enter into force on the day of receipt through diplomatic channels of the last official written notification on fulfilment by the parties of the internal procedures required for the entry into force of this Protocol.

The Protocol shall be concluded for five academic years: 2013/14, 2014/15, 2015/16, 2016/17 and 2017/18.

The Protocol may be extended, but not for longer than until the end of the academic year in which Bosnia and Herzegovina becomes a full member of the European Union.

The termination of this Protocol shall not influence programmes and projects initiated under this Protocol, so they shall continue until their conclusion except as otherwise agreed.

The Parties shall strive to settle any dispute regarding the interpretation or implementation of this Protocol in an amicable way.

In witness thereof, the undersigned, being duly authorised, have signed this Protocol.

Concluded in Sarajevo on 25 July 2013 in duplicate in the English language.