A working meeting between the State Agency on Intellectual Property (AGEPI) of the Republic of Moldova and the Intellectual Property Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (COPAT) was held, on November 20, in videoconference format. The event was attended by representatives of both offices, and its purpose was to strengthen bilateral relations between the two institutions.

The main discussion topic of the meeting was the examination of the opportunity to conclude a Cooperation Agreement in the field of intellectual property, which would cover both the aspects related to the field of industrial property and those related to the field of copyright and related rights. This initiative derives from the recommendations of the Protocol of the 4th Meeting of the Moldova-Azerbaijan Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Commercial and Economic Cooperation (point 3.8.)

The current state of cooperation between AGEPI and COPAT was analyzed during the meeting. There was an exchange of information and opinions on the recent legislative and institutional developments in the field of intellectual property, as well as on the ongoing projects in the two countries.

The Deputy Director General of AGEPI, Andrei Popa, brought to attention the priorities related to the European integration of the national intellectual property system, emphasizing the institution’s activity in this regard.

Moldova-Azerbaijan cooperation in the intellectual property protection field is carried out in accordance with the Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Moldova and the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Cooperation in the Field of Industrial Property Protection, concluded in Baku on April 23, 2008, the Memorandum of Cooperation between AGEPI and the Patent and Trademark Office of the Republic of Azerbaijan of September 6, 2017, as well as international and regional treaties and agreements to which both states are parties, including within the World Intellectual Property Organization. Also, the cooperation materializes through the exchanges of experience within the international and regional events in which the representatives of the institutions involved participate.

This working meeting represents an important step in strengthening bilateral relations in the field of intellectual property between the Republic of Moldova and the Republic of Azerbaijan and paves the way for closer cooperation in the future, the parties agreeing to conclude a Cooperation Agreement between the offices of the two countries.