25 East Accords

25 East Accords
Between Egypt and Libya
Article 1: Objectives
1. The objectives of this Agreement, as elaborated more specifically through its principles and rules, are to:
a. eliminate barriers to trade in, and facilitate the cross-border movement of, goods and services between the territories of the Parties;
b. create effective procedures for the implementation and application of this Agreement, for its joint administration and for the resolution of disputes; and
c. establish a framework for further bilateral, regional and multilateral cooperation to expand and enhance the benefits of this Agreement.
2. The Parties shall interpret and apply the provisions of this Agreement in the light of its objectives set out in the Preamble and in accordance with applicable rules of international law.
Article 2: Relation to Other Agreements
1. The Parties affirm their existing rights and obligations with respect to each other and other agreements to which such Parties are party.
2. In the event of any inconsistency between this Agreement and such other agreements, this Agreement shall prevail to the extent of the inconsistency, except as otherwise provided in this Agreement.
Article 3: Tariff Elimination
1. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, no Party may increase any existing customs duty, or adopt any customs duty, on an originating good.
2. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, each Party shall progressively eliminate its customs duties on originating goods.
3. Each Party may adopt or maintain import measures to allocate in-quota imports made pursuant to a tariff rate quota, provided that such measures do not have trade restrictive effects on imports additional to those caused by the imposition of the tariff rate quota.
Article 4: Import and Export Restrictions
1. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, no Party may adopt or maintain any prohibition or restriction on the importation of any good of another Party or on the exportation or sale for export of any good destined for the territory of another Party unless it is deemed detrimental to the Party’s people or cause by the importing Party.
2. In the event that a Party adopts or maintains a prohibition or restriction on the importation of a good from a non-Party, the Parties, on request of any Party, shall consult with a view to avoiding undue interference with or distortion of pricing, marketing and distribution arrangements in another Party.
Article 5: Economic and Diplomatic Cooperation
1. In an attempt to further develop economic and diplomatic cooperation in instances within and beyond national borders, the Party nations hereby agree to create economic and diplomatic environments in which both Party nations can cooperate and thrive for the betterment of the people and cause.
Article 6: National and International Cooperation
1. The governments of the signatory nations hereby agree to cooperate in all endeavors deemed beneficial for their nations. Such future cooperation will be for the betterment of the party nations and international interests. Domestic and international endeavors alike in one party nation will be consider equally the endeavors of the other and treated as such.
Article 7: Islamic Cultural Cooperation
1. In an attempt to further establish the current Islamic communities in both signatory nations, as well as to further spread the glory of Islam to all peoples, the governments of the signatory nations hereby agree to:
a. open borders to citizens of both Parties in order to visit key Muslim holy sites; and
b. facilitate the spreading of Islam through state programs and promotional endeavors.
Article 8: Military Cooperation and Mutual Defense
1. The governments of the signatory nations hereby agree to cooperation in any and all military endeavors meant to protect the sovereignty of either party nation deemed appropriate by both nations.
2. The governments of the signatory nations hereby agree to mutual defense for the protection of the sovereignty of both nations. An unprovoked attack on one party nation shall be considered an attack on both party nations and shall be treated as such. In the event of such an attack, both party nations shall go to the defense of the party nation attacked.
Article 9: National Security
1. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed:
a. to require any Party to furnish or allow access to any information the disclosure of which it determines to be contrary to its essential security interests;
b. to prevent any Party from taking any actions that it considers necessary for the protection of its essential security interests
(i) relating to the traffic in arms, ammunition and implements of war and to such traffic and transactions in other goods, materials, services and technology undertaken directly or indirectly for the purpose of supplying a military or other security establishment,
(ii) taken in time of war or other emergency in international relations, or
(iii) relating to the implementation of national policies or international agreements respecting the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices; or
c. to prevent any Party from taking action in pursuance of its obligations under the United Nations Charter for the maintenance of international peace and security.
Article 10: Balance of Payments
1. Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to prevent a Party from adopting or maintaining measures that restrict transfers where the Party experiences serious balance of payments difficulties, or the threat thereof and are:
a. imposed on transfers other than Cross-Border trade in financial services; or
b. imposed on Cross-Border trade in financial services.
Article 11: Disclosure of Information
Nothing in this Agreement shall be construed to require a Party to furnish or allow access to information the disclosure of which would impede law enforcement or would be contrary to the Party's law protecting personal privacy or the financial affairs and accounts of individual customers of financial institutions.
Article 12: Amendments
1. The Parties may agree on any modification of or addition to this Agreement.
2. When so agreed, and approved in accordance with the applicable legal procedures of each Party, a modification or addition shall constitute an integral part of this Agreement.
Article 13: Entry into Force
This Agreement shall enter into force on an exchange of written notifications certifying the completion of necessary legal procedures.
Article 14: Withdrawal
A Party may withdraw from this Agreement six months after it provides written notice of withdrawal to the other Party.
Article 15: Penalties
Should either Party violate any article of this Agreement, the equivalent payment of 1,000,000,000 (one-billion) US dollars shall be made to the Party violated for every violation.