| EXCHANGE OF NOTES CONSTITUTING AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF INDIA AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA CONCERNING
BALLOON FLIGHTS TO STUDY EQUATORIAL AIR CURRENTS New Delhi, 25 October 1960 to 7 February 1961 LETTERS The American Embassy to The Ministry of External Affairs of India
No. 265 The Embassy of United States, of America presents its compliments to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has the honour to refer to
recent discussions between the scientific authorities of the United States and Indian Governments concerning a series of jointly
conducted flights of high altitude research balloons over southern India to be undertaken during the period December,1960 to April,1961,
to study equatorial air currents. The Embassy has the further honour to inform the Ministry that the United States Government now proposes that the program of equatorial
balloon flights be undertaken and be conducted on the basis of the following understandings: (1) That the program of equatorial balloon flights be jointly conducted by the cooperating agencies or their contractors as the two
governments may designate in accordance with arrangements mutually agreed upon by the cooperating agencies. (2) That the Government of India will provide without charge balloon launching and hangar facilities for this project at Begumpet
airport, Hyderabad. 1. Came into force on 7 February 1961. (3) That all research balloon flights will be conducted in accordance with applicable air traffic control regulations of the Government
of India. (4) That all scientific information collected during the research activities will be shared between the two Governments. (5) That the Government of India will take steps to facilitate the admission into India of U.S. personnel participating in the research
program, as well as the entry into, and removal from the territory of India, without payment of taxes, customs duties, or other charges,
of all items of property provided by the United States or its contractor for use in connection with the research program. Such property
will be subject to customs inspection except for a limited number of clearly marked boxes containing filter material, glass slides,
or photographic film, which would be damaged by exposure if opened for customs inspection. 'Upon receipt of a reply from the Ministry indicating that the foregoing proposal is acceptable to the Government of India, the Government
of United States will consider that this note and the Ministry's reply constitute an agreement between the two Governments which
shall enter into force on the date of the Ministry's reply. The Embassy takes this opportunity to renew to the Ministry the assurances of its highest consideration. The Embassy of the United States of America New Delhi, October 25,1960. II The Ministry of External Affairs of India to the American Embassy MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS NEw DELHI No. F.52(8)-AMS/60 November 2, 1960 The Ministry of External Affairs present their compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America in New Delhi and with reference
to paragraph 5 of the Embassy's Note No. 265,- dated the 25th October, 1960 regarding the grant of customs facilities for the equipment to be imported for Indo-U.S. high altitude Balloon Flight Project, have the honour to say that necessary instructions have
been issued to the Collector of Customs, Bombay for granting all facilities for expeditious clearance of the equipment. The Ministry of External Affairs take this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurances of their
highest consideration. (Initialled) [SEAL] III The Embassy of the United States of America
New Delhi. The Ministry of External Affairs of India to the American Embassy MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS NEW DELHI No. F.52(8)-AMS/60 November 30, 1960 The Ministry of External Affairs present their compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America in New Delhi and in continuation
of this Ministry Note No. F. 52(8)-AMS/60 dated the 2nd November 1960 regarding the collaboration with the United States of America
in High Altitude Balloon Flights have the honour to say that the., understandings stated in paragraphs 1, 3 and 4 of the Embassy
9 S Note No. 265, dated the 25th October, 1960 are acceptable. to this Ministry. 2. As regards paragraph 2 of the Embassy's Note referred to above, the Ministry of Defense have been requested for permission to use
the Indian Air Force Recreation Hall at Begumpet for use as storage space for the project and their reply is awaited. This paragraph
will, therefore, require a minor amendment by substituting the word "storage" for the word "hangar". The Embassy are, therefore,
requested to agree to the minor amendment suggested above. 3, The Ministry of External Affairs take this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurances of
their highest consideration. (Initialled) SEAL) The Embassy of the United States of America New Delhi. IV The American Embassy to the Ministry of External Affairs of India No. 369 The Embassy of the United States of America presents its compliments to the Ministry of External Affairs of the Government of India
and with reference to the Ministry's Note No. F. 52(8)-AMS/60 of NovQer 30, 1960, has the honour to state that the proposal of the
Ministry that the term "storage facilities" be substituted for "hangar facilities" contained in paragraph 2 of the Embassy's Note
NoI65 of October 25, 1960 is agreeable. The Embassy has noted that the Ministry's note referred -to above does not mention the understandings set forth in paragraph 5 of
the Embassy's Note of October 25, 1960. The understandings contained in paragraph 5 are partially dealt with in the Ministry's Note
No. F. 52(8)-AMS/60 of November 2, 1960. The Embassy assumes that the remaining points set out in paragraph 5 of its Note of October
25, 1960, namely, the admission into India of United States personnel participating in the program and the removal from India of
all items of property provided by the United States or its contractors in connection with the program, are likewise acceptable to
the Government of India. It would, however, appreciate having the Ministry's assurance that this is the case. The Embassy takes this opportunity to renew to the Ministry the assurance of its highest consideration. The Embassy of United States of America
New Delhi, December 9, 1960. V The Ministry of External Affairs of India to the American Embassy MINISTRY OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS NEW DELHI No. F. 52(8)-AMS/60 Dated, 7th February, 1961 The Ministry of External Affairs present their compliments to the Embassy of the United States of America and with reference to paragraph
2 of the Embassy's Note No.369, dated the 9th December, 1960 regarding the collaboration with the United States of America in High
Altitude Balloon Flights have the honour to say the Government of India have no objection to the American personnel entering India
for the purpose of the expedition and they have also agreed to afford necessary facilities and to exempt the goods from customs duty
on import and re-export, subject to production of usual certificates. They have also permitted the use of the Recreational Hall at
Begumpet Aerodrome as storage space for the project. 2. The Ministry of External Affairs take this opportunity to renew to the Embassy of the United States of America the assurances of
their highest consideration. The Embassy of the United States of America
New Delhi. | 