MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The Hague, 8 July 2015
Treaties Division
MINBUZA-2015.347234
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (the Netherlands) presents its compliments to the Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the United Kingdom) and has the honour to propose an agreement concerning the location of a part of the diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at The Hague between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (hereinafter referred to as “the Parties”):
Bearing in mind the friendship and mutual cooperation between the two nations;
Responding to the emergency resulting from the fire at the Embassy of the United Kingdom rendering part of the diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom inaccessible;
Considering that this exceptional situation requires the allocation of appropriate offices to the United Kingdom for the performance of the functions of its mission;
Have agreed as follows:
The Kingdom of the Netherlands has offered to host part of the mission of the United Kingdom to the Netherlands in the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at Bezuidenhoutseweg 67, The Hague for the duration of a maximum of one year, and the United Kingdom has accepted this offer.
For the purpose of this agreement,
The “Vienna Convention” is the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961;
The “office” is the part of the mission located in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at The Hague.
The Parties confirm that operations concerning the office shall take into account and respect the Vienna Convention, while agreeing that the application of the Vienna Convention may be modified as set out in this agreement taking into account the particular circumstances of the location of the office.
The Netherlands agrees that it shall not interfere in the functioning of the mission of the United Kingdom and shall respect the immunity of the office and its staff while located in the premises of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at The Hague.
The United Kingdom agrees that the Netherlands retains overall control over the building, including the office and agrees that it shall comply with any instruction with respect to the safety and security of the building from the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or persons acting under her authority.
Each time the office is accessed by persons other than the staff of the mission of the United Kingdom the access shall be recorded and be notified in advance to the deputy head of the mission by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or persons acting under her authority.
In case of fire or other emergency requiring prompt protective action, or in the event that the Dutch security staff have reasonable cause to believe that such an emergency has occurred or is about to occur in the office, the consent of the mission to any necessary entry into the office shall be presumed.
The Mission of the United Kingdom to the Netherlands shall liaise with the Directorate for Safety, Crisis management and Integrity as necessary on issues concerning safety and security.
Regarding the office, the United Kingdom shall waive its rights under the Vienna Convention with respect to
Its right to use the flag (Article 20);
Its right to send messages in code or cipher (Article 27(1)).
The office shall be accessible during the regular office hours of the Ministry, being from 7.00 am until 8.00 pm. On an exceptional basis, access may be granted outside these hours, but only after a specific request thereto has been made by the Head of the Mission and as long as such access is not contrary to the public safety and national security of the Netherlands.
This Agreement shall apply to the part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Europe only.
Any dispute concerning the interpretation or application of this agreement shall be settled by negotiation.
This agreement shall be in force for the period the office is used by the United Kingdom or for one year following the date of signature whichever is the shorter period.
If the foregoing is acceptable to the United Kingdom, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands has the honour to propose that this Note and the Note in reply of the Embassy of the United Kingdom shall constitute an agreement between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom which shall enter into force on the date of the Note in reply.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands avails itself of this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United Kingdom the assurances of its highest consideration.
Embassy of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland in the Netherlands
The Hague
BRITISH EMBASSY THE HAGUE
8 July 2015
Note Verbale Nr: 055
Her Brittanic Majesty’s Embassy presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and has the honour to acknowledge receipt of its Note Verbale, nr [MINBUZA-2015.347234], of 8 July 2015 proposing an agreement concerning the location of a part of the diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands at The Hague between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom (hereinafter referred to as “the Parties”), which reads as follows:
(Zoals in Nr. I)
The foregoing is acceptable to Government of United Kingdom and the Embassy confirms that the Kingdom of the Netherland’s Note and this Note in reply shall constitute an agreement concerning the location of a part of the diplomatic mission of the United Kingdom in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands at The Hague between the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, which shall enter into force on the date of this Note in reply.
Her Britannic Majesty’s Embassy avails itself of the opportunity to renew to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of The Netherlands the assurance of its highest consideration.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Hague