Turkmenistan Develops Intellectual Property System in Partnership with WIPO and EAPO
Strengthening the national intellectual property system and integrating it into global legal frameworks were the focus of a report presented by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Rashid Meredov at a Cabinet of Ministers meeting on Friday. The proposed initiatives aim to establish a modern legal environment for innovation, invention, and copyright protection in Turkmenistan, which adopted a comprehensive Concept for the Development of the Intellectual Property System through 2052.
Practical cooperation includes a partnership with the Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO), of which Turkmenistan has been a member since 1995. A regional seminar titled "Fostering Innovation and Invention: Regional and Global Opportunities" is scheduled to be held in Ashgabat, bringing together representatives from government agencies, universities, the scientific community, and the business sector, alongside EAPO experts.
The country’s delegation is also scheduled to participate in the 48th session of the EAPO Administrative Council and an international forum, both to be held in Dushanbe from October 21 to 23, 2026. A significant step will be Turkmenistan’s accession to the "Memorandum of Understanding on the Eurasian Patent Prosecution Highway Program," which will enable the optimization of examination procedures, the elimination of redundant checks, and a reduction in the time required to process patent applications.
In parallel, the country intends to adopt new standards within the framework of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) by acceding to the Trademark Law Treaty (1994) and the Singapore Treaty on the Law of Trademarks (2006). This will facilitate the harmonization and simplification of trademark registration at both national and international levels.
In parallel, Ashgabat plans to utilize the WIPO "Innovation Potential Navigator" tool; to this end, a Turkmen delegation will travel to Geneva to participate in the 37th session of the WIPO Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (November 16–20, 2026).
President Serdar Berdimuhamedov approved the proposed set of measures, emphasizing that intellectual property protection is a key factor in fostering innovation, and instructed the Foreign Minister to ensure the consistent implementation of the planned steps.
