1928 League of Nations - Treaty Series. 65
EXCHANGE OF NOTES1 BETWEEN THE FINNISH GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS, APPOINTING FRONTIER COMMISSIONERS ON THE CARELIAN ISTHMUS. HELSINKI, SEPTEMBER 24, 1928
1 Translated by the Secretariat of the League of Nations, for information.
French official text communicated by the Finnish Minister for Foreign Affairs. The registration of this Exchange of Notes took place November 8, 1928.
THE FINNISH MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO THE CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS AT HELSINKI.
HELSINKI, September 24, 1928.
SIR,
I have the honour to inform you that the Government of the Finnish Republic considers it expedient, with a view to preventing the occurrence of local incidents on the frontier between Finland and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Carelian Isthmus, and to facilitating if necessary the prompt settlement of any such incidents, that the following régime be established :
FINLAND and THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS shall each appoint a Boundary Commissionner for the purpose of preventing local incidents on the common frontier on the Carelian Isthmus and facilitating their prompt settlement.
Having regard to the considerable area for which the Boundary Commissioner will be responsible, the Commissioners of both Parties shall be entitled to appoint an Assistant Commissioner.
The Governments shall inform each other of the name of the person appointed as Commissioner, the authority which issues the warrant attesting that he has entered upon his duties, and his address.
The duties of the Boundary Commissioner shall be :
- (a) To see that the frontier authorities of the two Parties observe the conventions and agreements concluded between Finland and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and that the rights of both Parties under the above conventions and agreements are respected ;
- (b) To take steps to prevent the occurrence of frontier incidents, to settle any
that may occur, and to see that no incident likely to disturb order or lead to disputes between the inhabitants of the frontier zones of the two States takes place on the frontier between the contracting States on the Carelian Isthmus.
The Boundary Commissioners of the two Parties shall deal jointly with frontier incidents concerning :
- (1) Trespassing by domestic animals straying from the territory of one Party into that of the other ;
- (2) Cases where shots have been fired from the territory of one of the Parties at persons belonging to the frontier guard, or at other persons, or into the territory of the other Party ;
- (3) The return of property removed by inhabitants of one of the countries from
the frontier zone of the other country ;
- (4) The occasional crossing of the frontier by officials and inhabitants, and their return ;
- (5) Disputes in connection with the floating of timber in the frontier rivers, unless other arrangements for the settlement of such disputes have been agreed upon between the Contracting Parties ;
- (6) Any other frontier incident not involving a question of principle.
When incidents occur, the Commissioners must take suitable measures to settle them in the easiest and quickest way.
For this purpose, the Commissioner of the one Party shall report the incident that has occurred to the Commissioner of the other. Both Commissioners shall proceed together to the scene of the incident with all possible despatch and take measures to settle it.
Incidents regarding which the Commissioners are unable to agree shall be dealt with through diplomatic channels.
The Boundary Commissioners of the two Parties shall be entitled :
- (a) To cross the frontier at the places jointly agreed upon on production of their official warrant, which must bear a note to the effect that it has been presented to the Boundary Commissioner of the other Party ; a Commissioner wishing to cross the frontier shall nevertheless inform the other Commissioner in good time of the date and place at which he intends to cross the boundary between the States ;
- (b) To personal immunity ;
- (c) To take with them an interpreter or technical assistant.
The above régime which is designed to prevent and settle frontier incidents, shall be established for one year from November 1, 1928. After this first year, it shall remain in force from year to year, unless one of the Parties gives notice three months before the expiry of the current year, that it wishes to denounce it or to change any of its provisions.
I have the honour to be, etc.
J. E. SUNILA.
THE CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES OF THE UNION OF SOVIET SOCIALIST REPUBLICS TO THE FINNISH PRIME MINISTER.
HELSINKI, September 24, 1928.
SIR,
I have the honour to inform you that the Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics considers it expedient, with a view to preventing the occurrence of local incidents on the frontier between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Finland on the Carelian Isthmus, and to facilitating if necessary the prompt settlement of any such incidents, that the following regime be established :
The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Finland shall each appoint a Boundary Commissioner for the purpose of preventing local incidents on the common frontier on the Carelian Isthmus and facilitating their prompt settlement.
Having regard to the considerable area for which the Boundary Commissioner will be responsible, the Commissioners of both Parties shall be entitled to appoint an Assistant Commissioner.
The Governments shall inform each other of the name of the person appointed Commissioner, the authority issuing the warrant attesting that he has entered upon his duties, and his address.
The duties of the Boundary Commissioners shall be :
- (a) To see that the frontier authorities of the two Parties observe the conventions and agreements concluded between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Finland and that the rights of both parties under the above conventions and agreements are respected;
- (b) To take steps to prevent the occurrence of frontier incidents, to settle any
that may occur, and to see that no incident likely to disturb order or to lead to disputes between the inhabitants of the frontier zones of the two States takes place on the frontier between the contracting States on the Carelian Isthmus.
The Boundary Commissionners of the two Parties shall deal jointly with frontier incidents concerning :
- (1) Trespassing by domestic animals straying from the territory of one Party into that of the other ;
- (2) Cases where shots have been fired from the territory of one of the Parties at persons belonging to the frontier guard, or at other persons, or into the territory of the other Party ;
- (3) The return of property removed by inhabitants of one of the countries from the frontier zone of the other country ;
- (4) The occasional crossing of the frontier by officials and inhabitants, and their return ;
- (5) Disputes in connection with the floating of timber in the frontier rivers, unless other arrangements for the settlement of such disputes have been agreeed upon between the Contracting Parties ;
- (6)Any other frontier incident not involving a question of principle.
When incidents occur, the Commissioners must take appropriate measures to settle them in the easiest and quickest way.
For this purpose, the Commissioner of the one Party shall report the incident that has occurred to the Commissioner of the other. Both Commissioners shall proceed together to the scene of the incident with all possible despatch and take measures to settle it.
Incidents regarding which the Commissioners are unable to agree shall be dealt with through diplomatic channels.
The Boundary Commissioners of the two Parties shall be entitled :
- (a) To cross the frontier at the places jointly agreed upon on production of their official warrant, which must bear a note to the effect that it has been presented to the Boundary Commissioner of the other Party ; a Commissioner wishing to cross the frontier, shall nevertheless inform the other Commissioner in good time of the date and place at which he intends to cross the boundary between the States ;
- (b) To personal immunity ;
- (c) To take with them an interpreter or technical assistant.
The above régime, which is designed to prevent and settle frontier incidents, shall be established for one year from November 1st, 1928. After the first year it shall remain in force from year to year, unless one of the Parties gives notice, three months before the expiry of the current year, that it wishes to denounce it or to change any of its provisions.
I have the honour to be, etc.
HORACE SALKIND.
Text reproduced by the Courtesy of the Treaty Section, Office of Legal Affairs, United Nations, New York.
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