Agreement between the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and Finland concerning the Åland islandsThe Government of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, on the one hand, and the Government of the Republic of Finland, on the other, being desirous of strengthening the foundations of their security and of peace in the Baltic Sea, have recognized the necessity of concluding the following Agreement, and to that end have appointed as their plenipotentiaries: Article 1 Finland undertakes to demilitarize the Åland Islands, not to fortify them and not to make them available to the armed forces of any other State. This provision shall be deemed to mean that neither Finland nor any other Power shall establish or maintain in the Åland Islands region any military or naval establishment or operational base, any establishment or operational base for military aviation, or any other installation which might be used for military purposes. The existing gun-platforms shall be demolished. Article 2 For the purposes of this Agreement, the expression "Åland Islands region" shall be deemed to mean all the islands, islets, cliffs and rocks in the area of water bounded by the following lines: (a) To the north, by the parallel of latitude 60°41' N. (b) To the east, by straight lines successively connecting the following geographical points: 1) lat. 60°41'.0 N and long. 21°00'.O E from Greenwich 2) lat. 60°35'.9 N and long. 21°06'.9 E from Greenwich 3) lat. 60°33'.3 N and long. 21°08'.6 E from Greenwich 4) lat. 60°15'.8 N and long. 21°05'.5 E from Greenwich 5) lat. 60°11'.4 N and long. 21°00'.4 E from Greenwich 6) lat. 60°09'.4 N and long. 21°01'.2 E from Greenwich 7) lat. 60°05'.5 N and long. 21°04'.3 E from Greenwich 8) lat. 60°01'.l N and long. 21°11'.3 E from Greenwich 9) lat. 59°59'.0 N and long. 21°08'.3 E from Greenwich 10) lat. 59°53'.0 N and long. 21°20'.0 E from Greenwich 11) lat. 59°48'.5 N and long. 21°20'.0 E from Greenwich 12) lat. 59°27'.0 N and long. 20°46'.3 E from Greenwich (c) To the south, by the parallel of latitude 59°27" N. (d) To the west, by straight lines successively connecting the following geographical points: 18) lat. 59°27'.O N and long. 20°09'.7 E from Greenwich 14) lat. 59°47'.8 N and long. 19°40'.0 E from Greenwich 15) lat. 60°11'.8 N and long. 19°05'.5 E from Greenwich 16) Centre of Market rock lat. 60°18'.4 N and long. 19°08'.5 E from Greenwich 17) lat. 60°41'.0 N and long. 19°14'.4 E from Greenwich The territorial waters of the Åland Islands shall be deemed to extend three nautical miles at low tide from the islands, islets and rocks which are not perpetually submerged and which are situated in the area described above. Article 3 The Soviet Union shall be entitled to maintain in the Åland Islands a consulate which, apart from the exercise of the usual consular functions, shall be competent to verify the fulfilment of the obligations undertaken by virtue of article 1 of this Agreement with regard to the demilitarization and non-fortification of the Åland Islands. Should the consular representative of the USSR discover any circumstances which, in his opinion, constitute a contravention of the provisions of this Agreement with regard to the demilitarization and non-fortification of the Åland Islands, he shall be entitled to request the Finnish authorities, through the Government office of the Province of Åland, to institute a joint investigation. Such an investigation shall be conducted immediately by the consular representative of the USSR and a plenipotentiary appointed by the Finnish Government. The results of the joint investigation shall be set down in a protocol, done in quadruplicate in Russian and Finnish, and shall be communicated to the Governments of the Contracting Parties, in order that they may take the necessary measures. Article 4 This Agreement shall come into force immediately on signature and shall be ratified later. The exchange of instruments of ratification shall take place at Helsinki within a period of ten days. Done in duplicate, each copy in Russian and Finnish, at Moscow on 11 October 1940.
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