The forty-second (thirteenth extraordinary) meeting of the EAPO Administrative Council took place in Veliky Novgorod under the chairmanship of Ata Annaniazov, Plenipotentiary Representative of Turkmenistan in the EAPO, Head of the State Service for Intellectual Property of the Ministry of Finance and Economy of Turkmenistan.

During the meeting, the EAPO Annual Report for 2022 was presented to the member states, the documents concerning the implementation of internships and the EAPO fellowship program were approved. The member states agreed to expand cooperation with the EAPO in the field of electronic exchange of documents. The relevant pilot project will be implemented with Tajikistan. The member states also approved the Statute on Fees due to the EAPO plans to accede to the Geneva Act of the Hague Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Industrial Designs of July 2, 1999.

The main issue on the agenda was the discussion of the EAPO Development Program for 2023-2028. The draft document included activities aimed at improving the quality of services provided by the EAPO, digitalization of the Office, expansion of examiner and informational cooperation between the member states and the EAPO, scaling of educational projects, and other issues.

—The main issue on the agenda was the discussion of the EAPO Development Program for 2023-2028. The draft document included activities aimed at improving the quality of services provided by the EAPO, digitalization of the Office, expansion of examiner and informational cooperation between the member states and the EAPO, scaling of educational projects, and other issues.

An agreement between the EAPO and the Intellectual Property Office of the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Armenia on cooperation in the field of patent search and examination of patent applications was also signed during the meeting. The Agreement implies enhancement of interagency cooperation in the examination of patents.

The document was signed by EAPO President Grigory Ivliev on behalf of the EAPO and by the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Republic of Armenia to the EAPO, Head of Office Christine Hambaryan on behalf of the Office of Intellectual Property.