Title

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF INDIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF REPUBLIC OF CYPRUS FOR THE MUTUAL PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF INVESTMENTS

Preamble

The Government of Republic of India and the Government of The Republic of Cyprus (hereinafter referred to as the "Contracting Parties");

Desiring to create conditions favourable for fostering greater investment by investors of one State in the territory of the other State;

Recognising that the encouragement and reciprocal protection under an international agreement of such investment will be conducive to the stimulation of individual business initiative and will increase prosperity in both States;

Have agreed as follows:

Body

Article 1. Definitions

For the purposes of this Agreement:.

(a) "Companies" mean: (i) In respect of India: corporations, firms and associations incorporated or constituted or established under the law in force in any part of India;

(ii) In respect of the Republic of Cyprus:- any legal persons constituted or incorporated in compliance with its laws and regulations and having their seat in the territory of the Republic of Cyprus;

Who in compliance with this Agreement are making investments in the territory of the other Contracting Party.

(b) "investment" means every kind of asset established or acquired including changes in the form of such investment, in accordance with the national laws of the Contracting Party in whose territory the investment is made and in particular, though not exclusively, includes: (i) Movable and immovable property as well as other rights such as mortgages, liens or pledges;

(ii) Shares in and stock and debentures of a company and any other similar forms of participation in a company;

(iii) Rights to money or to any performance under contract having a financial value;

(iv) Intellectual property rights, in accordance with the relevant laws of the respective Contracting Party;

(v) Business concession conferred by law or under contract, including concessions to search for and extract oil and other minerals;

(c) "investors" mean any natural persons or companies of a Contracting Party;

(d) "natural person" means: (i) In respect of the Republic of India: persons deriving their status as Indian citizens from the law in force in India;

(ii) In respect of the Republic of Cyprus:- persons having the citizenship of the Republic of Cyprus, in accordance with its laws and regulations.

(e) "returns" mean the net amounts yielded by an investment such as profit, interest, capital gains, dividends, royalties and fees;

(f) "territory" means: (i) In respect of the Republic of India: the territory of the Republic of India including its territorial waters and the airspace above it and other maritime zones including the Exclusive Economic Zone and continental shelf over which the Republic of India has sovereignty, sovereign rights or exclusive jurisdiction in accordance with its laws in force, the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and International Law,

(ii) In respect of the Republic of Cyprus:- the territory of the Republic of Cyprus, including the territorial sea and any maritime or submarine area as well as the. exclusive economic zone and the continental shelf that extend outside the limits of the territorial waters over which the Republic of Cyprus exercises or may exercise in accordance with international law, sovereignty, sovereign rights and jurisdiction for the purpose of exploration, exploitation and preservation of the sea-bed, sub soil and natural resources.

Article 2. Scope of the Agreement

(1) This Agreement shall apply to all investments made by investors of either Contracting Party in the territory of the other Contracting Party, accepted as such in accordance with its laws and regulations, whether made before or after the coming into force of this Agreement.

(2) In the case of investments made before the coming into force of this Agreement, it shall only apply to disputes occurring after the entry into force of the present Agreement.

Article 3. Promotion and Protection of Investment

(1) Each Contracting Party shall encourage and create favourable conditions for investors of the other Contracting Party to make investments in its territory, and admit such investments in accordance with its laws and policy.

(2) Investments and returns of investors of each Contracting Party shall at all times be accorded fair and equitable treatment in the territory of the other Contracting Party.

Article 4. National Treatment and Most-favoured-nation Treatment

(1) Neither Contracting Party shall in its territory subject investments or returns of investors of the other Contracting Party to treatment less favourable than that which it accords to investments or returns of its own investors or to investments or returns of investors of any third State, whichever is more favourable.

(2) Neither Contracting Party shall in its territory subject investors of the other Contracting Party, as regards their management, maintenance, use, enjoyment or disposal of their investments, to treatment less favourable than that which it accords to its own investors or to investors of any third State.

(3) The provisions of paragraphs (1) and (2) above shall not be construed so as to oblige one Contracting Party to extend to the investors of the other the benefit of any treatment, preference or privilege resulting from:

(a) Any existing or future customs unions, free trade area, economic communities or similar international agreement to which it is or may become a party, or

(b) Any matter pertaining wholly or mainly to taxation.

Article 5. Expropriation

(1) Investments of investors of either Contracting Party shall not be nationalised, expropriated or subjected to measures having effect equivalent to nationalisation or expropriation (hereinafter referred to as expropriation") in the territory of the other Contracting Party except for a public purpose in accordance with law on a non-discriminatory basis and against fair and equitable compensation. Such compensation shall amount to the fair value of the investment expropriated immediately before the expropriation or before the impending expropriation became public knowledge, whichever is the earlier, shall include interest at the prevailing market rate until date of payment, shall be made without unreasonable delay, be effectively realizable and be freely transferable.

(2) The investor affected shall have the right, under the law of the Contracting Party making the expropriation, to review, by a judicial or other independent authority of that Party, of his or its case and of the valuation of his or its investment in accordance with the principles set out in this Article. The Contracting Party making the expropriation shall make every endeavour to ensure that such review is carried out promptly.

(3) Where a Contracting Party expropriates the assets of a company which is incorporated or constituted under the law in force in any part of its own territory, and in which investors of the other Contracting Party own shares, it shall ensure that the provisions of paragraph (1) of this Article are applied to the extent necessary to ensure fair and equitable compensation in respect of their investment to such investors of the other Contracting Party who are owners of those shares.

Article 6. Compensation for Losses

(1) Investors of one Contracting Party whose investments in the territory of the other Contracting Party suffer losses owing to war or other armed conflict, a state of national emergency or civil disturbances in the territory of the latter Contracting Party shall be accorded by the latter Contracting Party treatment, as regards restitution, indemnification, compensation or other settlement, no less favourable than that which the latter Contracting Party accords to its own investors or to investors of any third State. Resulting payments shall be freely transferable.

(2) The compensation shall amount to the market value of the investments affected immediately before the measures referred to in paragraph (1) above, were taken or became public whichever is the earlier. The compensation shall be paid without unreasonable delay and be remitted abroad at the request of the investor in a freely convertible currency at the rate of exchange on the date of transfer, in the event of delay beyond 6 months from the date of the determination of its amount it shall bear interest at the prevailing market rate of the relevant currency at which the investment was originally made.

Article 7. Repatriation of Investment and Returns

(1) Each Contracting Party shall ensure, in respect of investments of investors of the other Contracting Party, the unrestricted transfer of the investment and the ensuing returns. The transfer shall be effected, without delay, in a freely convertible currency and at the rate of exchange, applicable on the date of transfer. Such transfers include in particular though not exclusively: -

(a) Capital and additional capital amounts used to maintain and increase investments;

(b) Net operating profits including dividends and interest in proportion to their shareholdings;

(c) Repayments of any loan including interest thereon, relating to the investment;

(d) Payment of royalties and services fees relating to the investment;

(e) Proceeds received from sale of their shares;

(f) Proceeds received by investors in case of sale or partial sale or liquidation;

(g) The earnings of citizens of one Contracting Party who work in connection with investment in the territory of the other Contracting Party.

(2) Nothing in paragraph (1) of this Article shall affect the transfer of any compensation under Article 6 of this Agreement.

(3) Unless otherwise agreed to between the parties, currency transfer under paragraph (1) of this Article shall be permitted in the currency of the original investment or any other convertible currency. Such transfer shall be made at the prevailing market rate of exchange on the date of transfer.

Article 8. Subrogation

Where one Contracting Party or its designated agency has guaranteed any indemnity against noncommercial risks in respect of an investment by any of its investors in the territory of the other Contracting Party and has made payment to such investors in respect of their claims under this Agreement, the other Contracting Party agrees that the first Contracting Party or its designated agency is entitled by virtue of subrogation to exercise the rights and assert the claims of those investors. The subrogated rights or claims shall not exceed the original rights or claim of such investors.

Article 9. Settlement of Disputes between an Investor and a Contracting Party

(1) Any dispute between an investor of one Contracting Party and the other Contracting Party in relation to an investment of the former under this Agreement shall, as far as possible, be settled amicably through negotiations between the parties to the dispute.

(2) Any such dispute which has not been amicably settled within a period of six months may be submitted:

(a) For resolution, in accordance with the law of the Contracting Party which has admitted the investment to that Contracting Party's competent judicial, arbitral or administrative bodies; or

(b) To the International conciliation under the Conciliation Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law.

(3) Should the Parties fail to agree on a dispute settlement procedure provided under paragraph (2) of this Article or where a dispute is referred to conciliation but conciliation proceedings are terminated other than by signing of a settlement agreement, the dispute may be referred to Arbitration. The Arbitration procedure shall be as follows:

(a) If the Contracting Party of the Investor and the other Contracting Party are both parties to the convention on the Settlement of Investment Disputes between States and nationals of other States, 1965 and the investor consents in writing to submit the dispute to the International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes such a dispute shall be referred to the Centre; or

(b) If both parties to the dispute so agree, under the Additional Facility for the Administration of Conciliation, Arbitration and Fact-Finding proceedings; or

(c) To an ad hoc arbitral tribunal by either party to the dispute in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law, 1976, subject to the following modifications: (i) The appointing authority under Article 7 of the Rules shall be the President, the Vice-President or the next senior Judge of the International Court of Justice, who is not a national of either Contracting Party. The third arbitrator shall not be a national of either Contracting party.

(ii) The parties shall appoint their respective arbitrators within two months.

(iii) The arbitral award shall be made in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement and shall be binding for the parties in dispute.

(iv) The arbitral tribunal shall state the basis of its decision and give reasons upon the request of either party; or

(d) The dispute may be submitted to the Arbitration Institute of the Arbitral Tribunal of the Chamber of Commerce in Stockholm; or

(e) To the Arbitral Tribunal of the International Chamber of Commerce in Paris.

Article 10. Disputes between the Contracting Parties

(1) Disputes between the Contracting Parties concerning the interpretation or application of this Agreement should, as far as possible, be settled through negotiation.

(2) If a dispute between the Contracting Parties cannot thus be settled within six months from the time the dispute arose, it shall upon the request of either Contracting Party be submitted to an arbitral tribunal.

(3) Such an arbitral tribunal shall be constituted for each individual case in the following way. Within two months of the receipt of the request for arbitration, each Contracting Party shall appoint one member of the tribunal. Those two members shall then select a national of a third State who on approval by the two Contracting Parties shall be appointed Chairman of the tribunal. The Chairman shall be appointed within two months from the date of appointment of the other two members.

(4) If within the periods specified in paragraph (3) of this Article the necessary appointments have not been made, either Contracting Party may, in the absence of any other agreement, invite the President of the International Court of Justice to make any necessary appointments. If the President is a national of either Contracting Party or if he is otherwise prevented from discharging the said function, the Vice President shall be invited to make the necessary appointments. If the Vice President is a national of either Contracting Party or if he too is prevented from discharging the said function, the Member of the international Court of Justice next in seniority who is not a national of either Contracting Party shall be invited to make the necessary appointments.

(5) The 'arbitral tribunal shall reach its decision by a majority of votes. Such decisions shall be binding on both Contracting Parties. Each Contracting Party shall bear the cost of its own member of the tribunal and of its representation in the arbitral proceedings; the cost of the Chairman and the remaining costs shall be borne in equal parts by the Contracting Parties. The tribunal may, however, in its decision direct that a higher proportion of costs shall be borne by one of the two Contracting Parties, and this award shall be binding on both Contracting Parties, The tribunal shall determine its own procedures.

Article 11. Entry and Sojourn of Personnel

A Contracting Party shall, subject to its laws, regulations and applicable administrative practices relating to the entry and sojourn of non- citizens, allow natural persons of the other Contracting Party and personnel employed by companies of the other Contracting Party to enter and stay in its territory for the purpose of engaging in activities connected with investments.

Article 12. Applicable Laws

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, all investments shall be governed by the laws in force in the territory of the Contracting Party in which such investments are made.

(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this Article nothing in this Agreement precludes the host Contracting Party from taking action for the protection of its essential security interests or in circumstances of extreme emergency in accordance with its laws normally and reasonably applied on a non discriminatory basis.

Article 13. Application of other Rules

If the provisions of law of either Contracting Party or obligations under international law existing at present or established hereafter between the Contracting Parties in addition to the present Agreement contain rules, whether general or specific, entitling investments by investors of the other Contracting Party to a treatment more favourable than is provided for by the present Agreement, such rules shall to the extent that they are more favourable prevail over the present Agreement.

Article 14. Review of the Agreement

Representatives of the Contracting Parties shall, whenever necessary, hold meetings in order to review the implementation of this Agreement. These meetings shall be held on the proposal of one of the Contracting Parties at a place and at a time agreed upon through diplomatic channels.

Article 15. Entry Into Force

This Agreement shall be subject to ratification and shall enter into force on the date of exchange of Instruments of Ratification.

Article 16. Duration and Termination

(1) This agreement shall remain in forte for a period of ten years and thereafter it shall be deemed to have been automatically extended unless either Contracting Party gives to the other Contracting Party a written notice of its intention to terminate the Agreement. The Agreement shall stand terminated one year from the date of receipt of such written notice.

Conclusion

Notwithstanding termination of this Agreement pursuant to paragraph (1) of this Article, the Agreement shall continue to be effective for a further period of ten years from the date of its termination in respect of investments made or acquired before the date of termination of this Agreement.

In witness whereof the undersigned, duly authorised thereto by their respective Governments, have signed this Agreement.

Done at Nicosia on this 9th day of April, 2002 in two originals each in the Hindi, Greek and English languages, all texts being equally authentic.

In case of any divergence, the English text shall prevail.

For the Government of the Republic of India

For the Government of the Republic of Cyprus