[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: William J. Clinton (1998, Book II)]
[September 2, 1998]
[Pages 1510-1512]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Agreement Between the United States of America and the Russian 
Federation for Promotion of Aviation Safety
September 2, 1998

    The Government of the United States of America and the Government of 
the Russian Federation, hereinafter referred to as the Contracting 
Parties,
    Desiring to promote civil aviation safety and environmental quality,
    Noting common concerns for the safe operation of civil aircraft,
    Recognizing the emerging trend toward multinational design, 
production, and interchange of civil aeronautical products,
    Desiring to enhance cooperation and increase efficiency in matters 
relating to civil aviation safety,
    Considering the possible reduction of the economic burden imposed on 
the aviation industry and operators by redundant technical inspections, 
evaluations, and testing,
    Recognizing the mutual benefit of improved procedures for the 
reciprocal acceptance of airworthiness approvals, environmental testing, 
and development of reciprocal recognition procedures for approval and 
monitoring of flight simulators, aircraft maintenance facilities, 
maintenance personnel, airmen, and flight operations,
    Have agreed as follows:

Article I

    A. To facilitate acceptance by each Contracting Party of the other 
Contracting Party's (a) airworthiness approvals and environmental 
testing and approval of civil aeronautical products, and (b) 
qualification evaluations of flight simulators.
    B. To facilitate acceptance by each Contracting Party of the 
approvals and monitoring of maintenance facilities and alteration or 
modification facilities, maintenance personnel, airmen, aviation 
training establishments, and flight operations of the other Contracting 
Party.
    C. To provide for cooperation in sustaining an equivalent level of 
safety and environmental objectives with respect to aviation safety.
    D. Each Contracting Party shall designate the appropriate 
authorities as its executive agent(s) to implement this Agreement.
    For the Government of the United States of America, the executive 
agent shall be the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the 
Department of Transportation.
    For the Government of the Russian Federation, the executive agent 
shall be the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) for type design 
approval, initial airworthiness approvals, environmental approval, and 
environmental testing of civil aeronautical products; and the Federal 
Aviation Authority of Russia (FAAR) for approval of maintenance 
facilities, maintenance

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personnel, and airmen; approval of flight operations; qualification 
evaluation of flight simulators; approval of aviation training 
establishments; and continuing in-service airworthiness issues related 
to civil aeronautical products. For the purpose of carrying out the 
provisions of this Agreement, the IAC shall act under the authority and 
on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation.

Article II

    For the purposes of this Agreement, the terms below have the 
following meaning:
    A. ``Airworthiness approval'' means a finding that the type design 
or change to a type design of a civil aeronautical product meets 
standards agreed between the Contracting Parties or that a product 
conforms to a type design that has been found to meet those standards, 
and is in a condition for safe operation.
    B. ``Alterations or modifications'' means making a change to the 
construction, configuration, performance, environmental characteristics, 
or operating limitations of the affected civil aeronautical product.
    C. ``Approval of flight operations'' means the technical inspections 
and evaluations conducted by a Contracting Party, using standards agreed 
between the Contracting Parties, of an entity providing commercial air 
transportation of passengers or cargo, or the finding that the entity 
complies with those standards.
    D. ``Civil aeronautical product'' means any civil aircraft, aircraft 
engine, or propeller or subassembly, appliance, material, part, or 
component to be installed thereon.
    E. ``Environmental approval'' means a finding that a civil 
aeronautical product complies with standards agreed between the 
Contracting Parties concerning noise and/or exhaust emissions. 
``Environmental testing'' means a process by which a civil aeronautical 
product is evaluated for compliance with those standards, using 
procedures agreed between the Contracting Parties.
    F. ``Flight simulator qualification evaluations'' means the process 
by which a flight simulator is assessed by comparison to the aircraft it 
simulates, in accordance with standards agreed between the Contracting 
Parties, or the finding that it complies with those standards.
    G. ``Maintenance'' means the performance of inspection, overhaul, 
repair, preservation, and the replacement of parts, materials, 
appliances, or components of a product to assure the continued 
airworthiness of that product, but excludes alterations of 
modifications.
    H. ``Monitoring'' means the periodic surveillance by a Contracting 
Party's appropriate executive agent to determine continuing compliance 
with the appropriate standards.

Article III

    A. The Contracting Parties' appropriate executive agents shall 
conduct technical assessments and work cooperatively to develop an 
understanding of each other's standards and systems in the following 
areas:
        1.  Airworthiness approvals of civil aeronautical products;
        2.  Environmental approval and environmental testing;
        3.  Approval of maintenance facilities, alteration or 
            modification facilities, maintenance personnel, and airmen;
        4.  Approval of flight operations;
        5.  Qualification evaluation of flight simulators; and
        6.  Approval of aviation training establishments.
    B. When the appropriate executive agents of the Contracting Parties 
agree that the standards, rules, practices, procedures, and systems of 
both Contracting Parties in one of the technical specialties listed 
above are sufficiently equivalent or compatible to permit acceptance of 
findings of compliance made by one Contracting Party for the other 
Contracting Party to the agreed-upon standards, the appropriate 
executive agents shall execute written Implementation Procedures 
describing the methods by which such reciprocal acceptance shall be made 
with respect to that technical specialty.
    C. The Implementation Procedures shall include at a minimum:
        1.  Definitions;
        2.  A description of the particular area of civil aviation to be 
            addressed;
        3.  Provisions for reciprocal acceptance of appropriate 
            executive agent actions such as test witnessing, 
            inspections, qualifications, approvals, and certifications;
        4.  Accountability of executive agents;
        5.  Provisions for mutual cooperation and technical assistance;
        6.  Provisions for periodic evaluations; and
        7.  Provisions for amendments to or termination of the 
            Implementation Procedures.

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Article IV

    Any disagreement regarding the interpretation or application of this 
Agreement or its Implementation Procedures shall be resolved by 
consultation between the Contracting Parties or their appropriate 
executive agents, respectively.

Article V

    This Agreement shall enter into force upon signature and shall 
remain in force until terminated by sixty (60) days' written notice from 
one Contracting Party to the other Contracting Party. Such termination 
shall also act to terminate all existing Implementation Procedures 
executed in accordance with this Agreement. This Agreement may be 
amended by the written agreement of the Contracting Parties. Individual 
Implementation Procedures may be terminated or amended by the 
appropriate executive agents.
    In Witness Whereof, the undersigned, being duly authorized by their 
respective Governments, have signed this Agreement.
    Done at Moscow, this second day of September, 1998, in duplicate, in 
the English and Russian languages, each text being equally authentic.

 
 For the Government of the  United States     For the Government of the
                of America:                      Russian Federation:
 
            William J. Clinton                      Boris Yeltsin
 

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this agreement.