ARTICLE I

The Parties shall establish the Joint Commission on Active Cooperation and Partnership, hereinafter referred to as "The Joint Commission".

ARTICLE II

The Co-Presidents of the Joint Commission are the Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Romania and the Republic of Hungary, respectively.

ARTICLE III

The Joint Commission shall:

- periodically evaluate the fulfillment of the provisions of the Treaty and other agreements, make proposals or recommendations concerning priorities in the development of relations between the two countries, concerning the inclusion of new fields in the partnership, or the betterment of the legal or institutional framework of cooperation;

- coordinate activities aiming at the development of the partnership between Romania and the Republic of Hungary;

- elaborate plans of measures, make proposals or recommendations concerning the agenda of the Presidents or Prime Ministers of the two states, and cooperate in the implementation of their decisions;

- monitor the building of mutual trust, make proposals for its improvement, identify situations that may diminish trust, and make proposals concerning the elimination thereof;

- support the development of collaboration or direct relations between bodies, institutions, organizations, companies, economic agents, scientific and cultural personalities in the two countries;

- submit to the Parties, when necessary, recommendations, proposals or plans of measures.

ARTICLE IV

The Parties shall set up the following special committees:

- The Special Committee for cooperation in the fields of foreign policy and of the strategy of integration of the two countries in European and Euro-Atlantic structures;

- The Special Committee for cooperation in the fields of European security and trust-building;

- The Special Committee for cooperation on minorities’ issues;

- The Special Committee for cooperation on economic, trade and tourism matters;

- The Special Committee for trans-frontier cooperation and cooperation between the local public administration offices;

- The Special Committee for cooperation on matters of infrastructure, transportation, waters, and environmental protection;

- The Special Committee for cooperation in the fields of culture, education, science and technology, and media;

- The Special Committee for cooperation on youth, social policy, health and sports matters;

- The Special Committee for cooperation in the fields of police, the status of foreigners and the security of the frontier.

When necessary, the Parties may set up ad-hoc committees in the fields provided for in the Treaty.

The Special Committees established hereunder shall operate within their respective ministries. Their co-presidents shall occupy the position of state sub-secretary, general director, or higher.

ARTICLE V

The Joint Commission and its special committees shall operate according to the Rules of Operation attached hereto, which are a part of this Protocol.

ARTICLE VI

This Protocol may be modified or supplemented with the written agreement of the Parties. Any modifications or amendments hereto shall come into force in accordance with the provisions of Art. VII hereof.

ARTICLE VII

This Protocol is concluded for an unlimited term, and shall come into force on the date of the last of the notifications to be given by Parties in order communicate to one another the fulfillment of the legal conditions necessary for the coming into force hereof.

This Protocol may be denounced by any of the Parties by means of a written notification to that effect. This Protocol shall be deemed terminated 6 months after the date of the first denunciation notification.

This Protocol was signed on this day of March 12, 1997, in Budapest, in two original copies, each concluded in Romanian and Hungarian, and both of which are authentic.

Government of Romania Government of Hungary

Victor Ciorbea Horn Gyula

Pursuant to the Protocol concluded between the Government of Romania and the Government of the Republic of Hungary, concerning the establishment of the Romanian-Hungarian Joint Commission on Active Cooperation and Partnership, hereinafter referred to as "The Protocol", the following Rules of Operation have been adopted:

ARTICLE 1

The powers of the Joint Commission on Active Cooperation and Partnership, hereinafter referred to as "The Joint Commission", are set forth in Art. II of the Protocol.

ARTICLE 2

The Joint Commission shall be composed of its presidents and secretaries, the presidents of the Special Committees provided for in Art. IV of the Protocol, or of the persons empowered by the former and nominated by the Parties.

The co-presidents of the ad-hoc special committees provided for in Art. IV of the Protocol may be invited to attend the sessions of the Joint Commission.

ARTICLE 3

The Joint Commission shall convene, as a rule, in biannual sessions, in Romania and the Republic of Hungary alternatively. The workings of the sessions are presided over by the President of the Joint Commission in the host country.

The Co-Presidents of the Joint Commission may agree upon calling extraordinary sessions.

The date and the agenda of a session of the Joint Commission shall, in principle, be agreed upon in the protocol of the previous session. The date shall be determined function of the proposals of the Co-Presidents of the Joint Commission, at least 30 days before that commencement of the session.

Between the sessions of the Joint Commission and the working sessions of the Special Committees, the ongoing tasks shall be performed by the secretaries.

ARTICLE 4

The two Parties shall communicate to each other, at least 10 days before the commencement of the session, the identity of the members of their respective delegations.

The Co-Presidents of the Joint Commission may invite to its sessions a representative of the organizations of the Hungarian and, respectively, Romanian national minorities from the two countries. In particular, the Romanian Co-President may invite a representative of the Hungarian community in Romania, and the Hungarian Co-President may invite a representative of the Romanian community in Hungary.

Experts or technical personnel from the two countries may attend the sessions of the Joint Commission.

ARTICLE 5

The Special Committees provided for in Art. IV of the Protocol shall convene in working sessions whenever necessary, but at least once a year, in Romania and the Republic of Hungary alternatively, according to their own agenda.

The provisions of Art. 3 hereof shall apply in the case of Special Committee sessions.

The activity of the Special Committees shall be reviewed in the sessions of the Joint Commission.

ARTICLE 6

The results of the sessions of the Joint Commission and of the Special Committees shall be recorded in the protocols or decisions (agreements) of said sessions, and shall thereafter be submitted for approval to the governments of the two states.

The Parties shall permanently inform the public opinion with respect to the activity of the Joint Commission and of the Special Committees.

ARTICLE 7

During the sessions of the Joint Commission and of the Special Committees, the official languages shall be Romanian and Hungarian. The agreements, protocols and other documents of the sessions of the Joint Commission and of the Special Committees shall be drawn up in two original copies, each in Romanian and Hungarian, and both authentic.

ARTICLE 8

The expenses for the organization and operation of the sessions of the Joint Commission and of the Special Committees shall be incurred by the host Party.

The guest party shall bear the transportation, accommodation and meal expenses.

The Parties may separately agree on the partial assumption of expenses.

ARTICLE 9

These Rules of Operation may be modified or supplemented with the written agreement of the Parties. Modifications hereto shall come into force pursuant to Art. VII of the Protocol.