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CO-OPERATION IN HUMANITARIAN AND OTHER FIELDS
The participating States,
Desiring to contribute to the strengthening of peace and understanding among peoples and to the spiritual enrichment of the human personality without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion,
Conscious that increased cultural and educational exchanges, broader dis- semination of information, contacts between people, and the solution of humanitarian problems will contribute to the attainment of these aims,
Determined therefore to co-operate among themselves, irrespective of their political, economic and social systems, in order to create better conditions in the above fields, to develop and strengthen existing forms of co-operation and to work out new ways and means appropriate to these aims,
Convinced that this co-operation should take place in full respect for the principles guiding relations among participating States as set forth in the relevant document,
Have adopted the following:
The participating States,
1. Human Contacts
Considering the development of contacts to be an important element in the strengthening of friendly relations and trust among peoples,
Affirming, in relation to their present effort to improve conditions in this area, the importance they attach to humanitarian considerations,
Desiring in this spirit to develop, with the continuance of détente, further efforts to achieve continuing progress in this field,
And conscious that the questions relevant hereto must be settled by the States concerned under mutually acceptable conditions,
Make it their aim to facilitate freer movement and contacts, individually and collectively, whether privately or officially, among persons, institutions and organisations of the participating States, and to contribute to the solution of the humanitarian problems that arise in that connection,
Declare their readiness to these ends to take measures which they consider appropriate and to conclude agreements or arrangements among themselves, as may be needed, and
Express their intention now to proceed to the implementation of the following:
(a) Contacts and Regular Meetings on the Basis of Family Ties
In order to promote further development of contacts on the basis of family ties the participating States will favourably consider applications for travel with the purpose of allowing persons to enter or leave their territory temporarily, and on a regular basis if desired, in order to visit members of their families.
Applications for temporary visits to meet members of their families will be dealt with without distinction as to the country of origin or destination: existing requirements for travel documents and visas will be applied in this spirit. The preparation and issue of such documents and visas will be effected within reasonable time limits; cases of urgent necessity - such as serious illness or death
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