PRIME MINISTER OF ROMANIA VISITS WIPO

The Prime Minister of Romania, Mr. Adrian Nastase, and the Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO), Dr. Kamil Idris, agreed on the critical importance of intellectual property as a key driver of economic and cultural development in Romania during the Prime Minister's visit to WIPO on Monday, April 15, 2002.

Dr. Idris welcomed the Romanian government's efforts to strengthen the national intellectual property system, particularly in upgrading the intellectual property enforcement system and assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to more effectively use the intellectual property system. The Director General reaffirmed WIPO's continued support in strengthening the intellectual property system in Romania, particularly in the field of human resources development and institution building. He welcomed the signing of a framework agreement of cooperation in the field of education between the WIPO Worldwide Academy (WWA) and the Romanian authorities to enhance the teaching of intellectual property in that country which further reflected the strong cooperation between WIPO and Romania.

Prime Minister Nastase underscored the importance of the intellectual property system in promoting economic and cultural development in Romania and in using the nation's creative resources. He reaffirmed his government's commitment to strengthening the national intellectual property system and expressed support for implementation of the framework agreement between the WWA and Romanian authorities to upgrade intellectual property human resource capacity through expanded teaching programs.

In June 2001, Romania signed a cooperation agreement with WIPO aimed at modernizing and further strengthening the intellectual property system in Romania (see PR/2001/274). Activities in this program include initiatives to upgrade intellectual property enforcement capacity in Romania, intensified training in intellectual property, schemes to promote innovation, assist SMEs in effectively using the intellectual property system and the protection of traditional knowledge and folklore.

Romania became a member of WIPO in 1970 and is party to twelve WIPO-administered intellectual property treaties including the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, the Madrid System, the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT) and the Hague Agreement Concerning the Deposit of Industrial Designs.

For more information please contact the Media Relations and Public Affairs Section at +4122-3388161 or +4122-3389547 or publicinf@wipo.int.