Russian Federation's Intellectual Property Stategies for World Trade Organization (WTO) accession,
embassy working group meeting

Moscow, Russia
20 February 2001

THE EMBASSY WORKING GROUP (EWG)
Fact Sheet

The Embassy Working Group (EWG) is an ad-hoc group in Moscow representing more than 30 foreign embassies (EU nations, G-7 nations, Baltics and CIS countries, among others), Russian government officials, leading IPR and shareholder rights organizations, and international and Russian policy experts, dedicated to finding common ground for cooperation and to strengthening intellectual property rights and shareholder rights protection in the Russian Federation.

Since March 1996, the Embassy Working Group has acted as an informal vehicle for dialogue on IPR and shareholder rights issues between the international community and the Russian government. The Embassy Working Group provides its members with the opportunity to establish direct contacts with IPR decision-makers and capital markets regulators in the Russian Government, as well as foreign governments.

Meetings feature leading experts who provide updates on IPR and shareholder rights developments in Russia and major international bodies, such as the World Trade Organization. Members are also encouraged to share information, and many representatives bring their own investor abuse and IPR "case studies" to present as success stories or to receive practical advice for redress.

Past meetings have included presentations by representatives from the RF Committee for Patents and Trademarks (Rospatent), RF Supreme Court, RF Supreme Arbitration Court, RF Anti-Monopoly Committee, The United States Trade Representative, US Department of Commerce, European Union, Federal Securities Commission and NAUFOR among others. Embassy Working Group members receive first-hand reports on legislative, legal and law enforcement initiatives from these representatives and have the opportunity to provide reactions and concerns directly to their colleagues.

An important function of the Embassy Working Group is to mobilize support for IPR and shareholder rights reform among the international and Russian business community. Representatives from key business organizations, including the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, American Chamber of Commerce, European Business Club and German Business Club, are regular participants at the Embassy Working Group.

The Embassy Working Group continues to focus primarily on IPR issues, while broadening its scope to include other critical and interrelated public policy issues, including commercial dispute resolution, shareholder's rights and corporate governance.

Additional information about the Embassy Working Group can be obtained by speaking with the group's Chairman, Tom Thomson, Senior Vice President and Managing Director of The PBN Company, a strategic communications consultancy specializing in public affairs, financial communications and government relations telephone: (095) 745-8700, fax:(095) 745-8701, e-mail: TomThomson@cipr.org.