Yes, absolutely. There is in fact a document in place. It's a memorandum of understanding that stipulates exactly where, how, and when the two entities will interplay with one another, and the theme of independence is a penultimate theme in the MOU. It is captured in writing, so whether I'm here or not, that independence exists, and it has pre-existed my arrival.
On April 17th, 2018. See this statement in context.