Here is the rewritten article in markdown format:

Compliance vs Regulations in Turkmenistan: Navigating the Complexity

==============================

Turkmenistan has made gradual strides towards embracing international trade standards, with its Main State Standards Service (Turkmenstandartlary) playing a crucial role in regulating conformity assessment and product certification. The country’s products are labeled with a barcode starting with 483.

Standards and Metrology

Turkmenstandartlary is responsible for governing standards and metrology in Turkmenistan. The country became a correspondent member of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in 1993 and created a national organization for bar coding in 2015, with GS1 issuing a GS1 country prefix of 483.

National Standards

TDS and GOST

The nation relies on National Standards of Turkmenistan (TDS) and General Interstate Standards (GOST), developed by the Euro-Asian Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (EASC).

Testing, Inspection, and Certification

LLC Mintest offers reliable certification services in Turkmenistan, leveraging its established connections with authorities such as the State Commission on Radio Frequencies, Ministry of Communications, Radiofrequency department, and Turkmenstandartlary. The company can assist clients in accessing the Turkmenistan market by providing pre-compliance testing, application support, and test report issuance.

Hygiene Certification and Food Certification

Turkmen legislation requires product certification, including sanitary certification for food products imported into the country. The State Sanitary and Epidemiological Inspectorate (SSEI) conducts tests of imported food products to issue certificates of conformity, which must be accompanied by a Russian-language product description.

Labeling and Marking

Food items in Turkmenistan must be labeled in Turkmen and/or Russian, although additional labeling in English, Turkish, Persian, and Arabic is common. Home appliances and electronics are typically labeled in English, with Russian-language instructions preferred. The Law on Trademarks provides for the legal protection and use of trademarks, which must first be registered at the Patent Department.

Important Note

Product certification in Turkmenistan requires sample delivery and test reports. Clients seeking to access the market should contact LLC Mintest for more information.

I hope this helps! Let me know if you have any further requests.