A delegation of the Government of the Slovak Republic, which included the representative of the Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic, paid on September 25-26, 2023, a working visit to Chisinau, at the initiative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova (MFAEI).

The visit began on September 25, at the MFAEI headquarters, with an introductory meeting between the representatives of the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI), the National Bureau of Statistics and the Slovak delegation. This first meeting provided the opportunity for the parties to discuss the main directions of collaboration and to establish common objectives in the context of the European integration process of the Republic of Moldova. His Excellency Pavol Ivan, the Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the Republic of Moldova, was also present at the meeting, who emphasized the importance of intensifying relations between the two countries.

On September 26, the program included an information session intended for AGEPI specialists on the opportunities for external assistance for the Republic of Moldova from the Slovak Republic and the particularities of the Slovak industrial property system - offered by the members of the Slovak delegation formed by Marek Samoš, Vice-President of the Industrial Property Office of the Slovak Republic, and Ivan Kováč, Director of the European Policy Department of the Slovak Ministry of Foreign Affairs. During the session, topics related to the digitization of the processes applicable to the procedures for examination and registration of trademarks, industrial designs, as well as inventions, were addressed. Aspects related to the impact of the initiatives to harmonize the trademark and industrial design examination practices at the European Union level on the intellectual property objects examination procedures at the national level were also discussed. Other important topics included how to apply the flexibilities of the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and membership of the European Patent Convention.

The Director General of AGEPI, Eugeniu Rusu, emphasized the importance of the exchange of ideas and experience in the field of industrial property and the need to strengthen bilateral relations in this segment. At the same time, Eugeniu Rusu expressed AGEPI’s interest in taking over the best practices in terms of harmonizing legislation with the European acquis.