Medvedev to attend CIS premiers' meeting in Ashgabat on May 31
MOSCOW. May 28 (Interfax) - Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev will attend a meeting of the Council of Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) in Ashgabat on May 31.
"Prime Minister Medvedev will head the Russian delegation to a session of the Council of Prime Ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States that will be held in the city of Ashgabat (Turkmenistan) on May 31," the Russian government's press service told Interfax in a statement on Tuesday.
The participants in the meeting are expected to discuss key issues related to CIS countries' cooperation and "will give special attention to the topic of innovations, the protection of intellectual property rights and customs control." They also intend to sign an array of intergovernmental documents regulating interaction in these areas.
"During the talks, the sides are expected to adopt decisions to draw up a draft interstate program for innovative cooperation for the period up to 2030 and amend the rules for determining countries of origin and also the rules for customs clearance and the transit and monitoring of commodities that transit the territory of CIS member states," the statement said.
Medvedev earlier signed a resolution approving a draft agreement that was submitted by the Finance Ministry following consultations with the Foreign Ministry and the other agencies concerned. The agreement is aimed at promoting interaction between the CIS states' customs authorities in protecting intellectual property rights.
The document was published on the official online portal of legal information on Tuesday. It expresses concern over the scope of distribution of counterfeit products worldwide, which harms the economy of the CIS member states, legal businesses, cultural development, and scientific and technological progress, as well as threatening consumers' security, lives, and health.
The CIS member states are confident that cooperation in countering violations of intellectual property rights will help facilitate and expedite the import and export of commodities between the states that are signatories to this agreement.
The draft document also allows the sides to cooperate in exchanging information on request or on their own initiative regarding states' legislation that protects intellectual property rights and regulates the sharing of experience in prevention, detection, and suppression of violations within this sphere.
The sides will additionally be able to exchange information concerning any movement of commodities between the signatories in violation of intellectual property laws, as well as exchange information on commodities that are suspected of being transferred in violation of such laws.