Mr. Ulan Melisbek
Director of Kyrgyzpatent

The departing year was dynamic and intensive for me. I thank this year, first of all, as during this time I have got invaluable experience of a public institution’s leader and I have seen on the inside the State problems. It was complicated, taking into consideration that I was living a lot of time away from the native country. So, this year it was often necessary to take the bull by the horns in literal sense, making the following critical actions:

Automation of Kyrgyzpatent, work for realization of the President’s Decree on redelegation of the National Domain Zone administration and creation of the Administration Center.
We also have been occupied of the habitual work on supporting and encouraging of creative youth and stimulation of inventive activities. Jointly with the WIPO and the Eurasian Patent Office we presented several candidates from Kyrgyzstan for the WIPO Gold Medals and the EAPO Medal awarding.

Creation of the National Program on strategic development of Intellectual Property and Innovative Policy, supported by the World Intellectual Property Organization will be the major task of incoming year.

We have stepped forward on the way of combating against piracy and counterfeiting, respective amendments in legislation have been prepared. Active work on such directions as Traditional Knowledge and Genetic Resources continues to realize. Assignment of the Kyrgyz Republic as the WIPO Regional Group Coordinator for the Caucasian, Central Asian and Eastern Europe countries was one of the major events in the departing year. The Group includes 11 states: the Russian Federation, Belarus, Ukraine, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan. Until now Russia has always leaded in the Group, appearing on behalf of all these states. But this year our country took the opportunity to present this region. Now our specialists are working actively on this direction.
Being the Office’s Director, I also participated in the meetings of the Eurasian Patent Organization (EAPO) and presented Kyrgyzstan in the Board of EAPO as one of deputies. It gives massive opportunities for presentation of our country’s interests for Intellectual Property protection in the international level. It means that Kyrgyzstan puts a greater emphasis on Intellectual Property issues.

To judge on the state scale I think that the beginning of the state administration system reformation and realization of new personnel policy are the most important events. From the first days of independence leaders of the state often told about such reformation necessity. But talking is a one thing and taking responsibility for reformation is another one. As a result we supervised how from year to year a reshuffle of the same political figures took place. Finally that is over and done. Probably somebody considers some personnel decisions of the current authorities as unexpected and non-typical, but the process is continuing and I expect that at in early future it will give its fruits. Anyway referring to our Office I can say that the work is going more effectively and fruitfully in collective of youth, progressively thinking and educated officials. Such atmosphere does not give any chance for bureaucracy.

Nowadays acting government’s policy more than ever is realistic and pragmatic. It is not afraid of responsibility, even though the extremely unpopular measures are needed. I mean our distressful energy sector. I think if Akaev’s government in due course would carry out a realistic tariff policy, this sphere would not be in such dire situation. Indeed, nobody is delighted with actual jump. But it would be worse to drive the problem deep down, continuing to flirt with people.

Building of Kambarata hydroelectric station is a momentous event - for the first time of Kyrgyz independence a such scale project is realizing.

I think that the open country means attractiveness for citizens themselves and for foreigners, coming to make business, work or have a rest. Let our traditional hospitality would be a visit card of our country. It is necessary to simplify maximally all entry procedures to Kyrgyzstan and to delete all bureaucratic obstacles in the way of investors.

We are living in the century of information technologies and it determines a moving to maximal openness. I hope that in early future the electronic government will begin to function, the Internet will be more accessible for our citizens and that they could be able not only to receive every interesting information but also to interact with government in different levels and to make an electronic commerce.