Artikel 16

1. The Contracting Parties reaffirm, consistent with their rights and obligations under international law, that their obligations to each other to protect the security of civil aviation against acts of unlawful interference forms an integral part of this Agreement. Without limiting the generality of their rights and obligations under international law, the Contracting Parties shall in particular act in conformity with the provisions of the Convention on Offences and Certain Other Acts Committed on Board Aircraft, signed at Tokyo on 14 September 1963, the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Seizure of Aircraft, signed at The Hague on 16 December 1970, the Convention for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation, signed at Montreal on 23 September 1971, its Supplementary Protocol for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts of Violence at Airports Serving International Civil Aviation, signed at Montreal on 24 February 1988, the Convention on the Marking of Plastic Explosives for the Purposes of Detection, signed at Montreal on 1 March 1991, and any other convention or protocol relating to aviation security to which the Contracting Parties shall become party.
2. The Contracting Parties shall provide upon request all necessary assistance to each other to prevent acts of unlawful seizure of civil aircraft and other unlawful acts against the safety of such aircraft, their passengers and crew, airports and air navigation facilities, and any other threat to the security of civil aviation.
3. The Contracting Parties shall, in their mutual relations, act in conformity with the aviation security standards and, so far as they are applied by them, with the Recommended Practices established by the International Civil Aviation Organization and designated as Annexes to the Convention, and the Contracting Parties shall require that operators of aircraft of their registry, operators who have their principal place of business or permanent residence in their territory, and the operators of airports in their territory, act in conformity with such aviation security provisions. Each Contracting Party shall notify the other Contracting Party of any difference between its national regulations and practices and the aviation security standards established by the Convention. Either Contracting Party may request consultations with the other Contracting Party at any time to discuss any such differences.
4. Each Contracting Party shall ensure that effective measures are taken within its territory to protect aircraft, to screen passengers and their carry-on items, and to carry out appropriate checks on crew, cargo (including hold baggage) and aircraft stores prior to and during boarding or loading, and that those measures are adjusted to meet any increased threat. Each Contracting Party agrees that its designated airline or airlines may be required to observe the aviation security provisions referred to in paragraph 3 of this Article required by the other Contracting Party for entrance into, departure from, or while within, the territory of that other Contracting Party. Each Contracting Party shall also act favourably upon any request from the other Contracting Party for reasonable special security measures to meet a particular threat.
5. When an incident or threat of an incident of unlawful seizure of civil aircraft or other unlawful acts against the safety of such aircraft, their passengers and crew, airports or air navigation facilities occurs, the Contracting Parties shall assist each other by facilitating communications and other appropriate measures intended to terminate as rapidly as possible, commensurate with minimum risk to life, such incident or threat.
6. Each Contracting Party shall have the right, in the event that the designated airline or airlines of one Contracting Party commences operations of agreed services to the territory of the other Contracting Party, within sixty (60) days following notice (or such shorter period as may be agreed between the aeronautical authorities), for its aeronautical authorities to conduct an assessment in the territory of the other Contracting Party of the security measures being carried out, or planned to be carried out, by aircraft operators in respect of flights arriving from, or departing to the territory of the first Contracting Party. The administrative arrangements for the conduct of such assessments shall be mutually determined by the aeronautical authorities and implemented without delay so as to ensure that assessments will be conducted expeditiously.
7. Each Contracting Party shall take such measures, as it may find practicable, to ensure that an aircraft subject to an act of unlawful seizure or other acts of unlawful interference which has landed in its territory is detained on the ground unless its departure is necessitated by the overriding duty to protect human life. Wherever practicable, such measures shall be taken on the basis of mutual consultations.
8. When a Contracting Party has reasonable grounds to believe that the other Contracting Party has departed from the provisions of this Article, the first Contracting Party may request immediate consultations. Such consultations shall start within fifteen (15) days of receipt of such a request from either Contracting Party. Failure to reach a satisfactory agreement within fifteen (15) days from the start of consultations, or such other period as may be agreed upon between the Contracting Parties, shall constitute grounds for withholding, revoking, suspending or imposing conditions on the authorisations of the airline or airlines designated by the other Contracting Party. When justified by an emergency, or to prevent further non-compliance with the provisions of this Article, the first Contracting Party may take interim action at any time. Any action taken in accordance with this paragraph shall be discontinued upon compliance by the other Contracting Party with the security provisions of this Article.