Article 5

1. The requested Party shall promptly execute a request in accordance with the relevant provisions of this Treaty. A Central Authority of the requested Party having received a request shall, if necessary, promptly forward the request to another competent authority in order to do so. The competent authorities of the requested Party shall take every possible measure in their power to ensure the execution of a request.

2. A request shall be executed in the manner or procedure provided for by the laws of the requested Party. The manner or particular procedure described in a request referred to in paragraph 3(2), 3(6) or 3(9) of Article 4 shall be followed to the extent it is not prohibited by the laws of the requested Party, and where it is practically possible.

3. If the execution of a request is deemed to interfere with an ongoing investigation, prosecution or other proceeding in the requested Party, the Central Authority of the requested Party may postpone the execution or make the execution subject to conditions deemed necessary after consultations between the Central Authorities of the Parties. If the requesting Party accepts such conditions, the requesting Party shall comply with them.

4. The requested Party shall make its best efforts to keep confidential the fact that a request has been made, the contents of a request, the outcome of the execution of a request and other relevant information concerning the execution of a request if such confidentiality is requested by the Central Authority of the requesting Party. If a request cannot be executed without disclosure of such information, the Central Authority of the requested Party shall so inform the Central Authority of the requesting Party, which shall then determine whether the request should nevertheless be executed.

5. The Central Authority of the requested Party shall respond to reasonable inquiries by the Central Authority of the requesting Party concerning the status of the execution of a request.

6. At the request of the Central Authority of the requesting Party, the Central Authority of the requested Party shall provide, if possible, in advance the information on the date and place of the execution of a request.

7. The Central Authority of the requested Party shall promptly inform the Central Authority of the requesting Party of the result of the execution of a request, and shall provide the Central Authority of the requesting Party with the testimony, statements or items obtained as a result. If a request cannot be executed in whole or in part, the Central Authority of the requested Party shall inform the Central Authority of the requesting Party of the reasons therefor.