Convention concerning the conditions on which the Russian state and its nationals shall be entitled to free transit through the territory of PetsamoThe Government of the Republic of Finland and the Government of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic, in virtue of Article 8 of the Treaty of Peace signed at Dorpat on October 14, 1920, have decided to conclude an Agreement regarding the conditions upon which the State of Russia and its nationals may exercise their right of free transit through the territory of Petsamo, have entrusted the duty of drawing up and signing the Convention to the Mixed Russo-Finnish Central Committee, and have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries for that purpose: The Government of the Republic of Finland: and the Government of the Russian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic: who, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following provisions: Article 1. The Russian authorities and Russian nationals shall have the right of free passage through the Finnish territory of Petsamo from Russia to Norway and from Norway to Russia by the routes named in Article 5 of this Convention. This provision shall not, however, apply to military or similar forces. Goods of all kinds and cattle may also be transported without hindrance through the above-mentioned territory by the said routes from Russia to Norway or vice versa. Exceptions may be made in the following cases: (1) In the despatch and transport in transit of arms, ammunition or contraband of war; (2) To meet the requirements of public security; (3) For the protection of human beings and animals against contagious disease; and (4) In order to restrict traffic within the limits of capacity of the routes. The measures necessary in such exceptional cases shall always be of a purely provisional character and, in general, shall not impede or interrupt the transit traffic. Article 2. Free passage as laid down in the first paragraph of the preceding article shall be granted to any person in possession of a transit permit issued by the competent Russian authority. Such permits shall be made out for periods of three months and shall not require the visa of the Finnish authority. Article 3. Goods and cattle in transit shall be free of customs duties and transit or other dues. Goods in transit shall be accompanied by detailed waybills in Finnish and Russian, showing the nature and number of the goods, the names of the consignor, consignee and carrier, the place of despatch and place of destination, These waybills shall bear the personal signature and seal of the issuing authority, together with the date of issue. The provisions contained in this paragraph shall also apply to the transport of cattle. The Finnish authorities shall have the right to seal goods in transit or to order them to be accompanied through the territory of Petsamo by customs officers or any other escort. Any charges arising out of the foregoing provisions shall be paid by the consignor to the State of Finland, as laid down in the general legislation in force in Finland concerning the supervision of goods in transit by the customs authorities. The passage of goods in transit shall not, however, be delayed longer than is necessary for the fulfilment of the above-mentioned customs formalities, nor shall it be prevented thereby. Article 4. Persons, consignments of goods and cattle passing through the territory shall not break their journey unless it is necessary for them to do so in the ordinary course of travel in transit, or unless the condition of the roads or the safety of human beings, animals and goods requires it. Article 5. Traffic in transit may use the roads through Muotkankylä (Pogost Motovski) and Salmijärvi and through Suonikylä (Pogost Songelski) and Salmijärvi. Traffic in transit may also use any other roads which may be constructed in accordance with the provisions of Article 7 of this Convention, or which the Finnish Government may open to traffic between North Russia and North Norway. Article 6. Should the Russian Government require special buildings as lodging and shelter for persons passing through the territory or for cattle and consignments of goods, the Finnish Government agrees to the construction, at the expense of the Russian Government, of such premises as the latter may think suitable, provided that these shall be at an approximate distance of 25 kilometres from one another. Finnish officials when travelling or conveying goods shall have the right to make use of these shelters, in so far as this does not interfere with the Russian transit traffic. The Finnish Government undertakes, at the request of the Russian Government and at its expense, to supply the labour required for repairing roads and shelters, The Finnish Government shall be responsible for the annual repair of through roads and shelters, and the cost of upkeep shall be divided between Finland and Russia in proportion to the use made by each Contracting Party of the said shelters and roads. The amount of these charges and the regulations for their payment shall be determined annually by agreement between the Governments of the two States. Article 7. Should the Russian Government desire the construction of new through roads and shelters, it shall come to a special agreement with the Finnish Government on this point. The Finnish Government shall arrange for the supply of labour at the expense of the Russian Government. The repair and upkeep of such roads and shelters shall be governed by the provisions of the preceding article. Article 8. The roads mentioned in Article 5 shall not be subjected to heavier traffic than is permitted by the technical regulations governing them. These regulations and any modifications which may be made therein shall be communicated to the Russian Government in due course. Article 9. Unarmed Russian aircraft shall have the right to. carry on air traffic between Russia and Norway over the territory of Petsamo, provided that they comply with the international technical regulations regarding aviation in force in Finland and that the pilots are in possession of the documents prescribed for international air traffic and mentioned in Articles 2 and 3 of this Convention, and provided that in case of landing they present these documents to the Finnish authorities. Should an Aviation Convention be in future concluded between Finland and Russia, the provisions of such convention shall also be observed. Article 10. The present Convention shall come into force two months after the date of signature and shall remain in force for five years. It shall be prolonged for successive periods of five years, unless denounced by one of the Contracting Parties not less than one year before the expiry of any such period of five years. Article 11. The present Convention is done in duplicate in Finnish, Swedish and Russian, all three texts being authentic. In witness whereof the Plenipotentiaries of the two Contracting States have signed the present Convention and have thereto affixed their seals. Helsinki, October 28, 1922. A.Ahonen S.M.Frankfurt |