TEHRAN – The strategic partnership document which was signed by Iran and China on Saturday highlights bilateral cooperation for fighting the coronavirus pandemic.

The document presents a bright prospect for cooperation between the two countries and will be even a turning point in similar agreements with other countries in the future, the Iranian health ministry's spokesman Kianoush Jahanpour wrote on his Twitter account.

The document also stresses the need to provide medical equipment and medicine, transfer technology, and hold training courses by the two sides, he added.

Iran and China officially signed the document for 25-year comprehensive cooperation on Saturday.

The document was signed between Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Writing on his Twitter account, Zarif said, “Excellent exchange on expansion of global, regional and bilateral cooperation in the context of our comprehensive strategic partnership, culminated in the signing of a historic 25-year strategic roadmap.” 

In February, Jahanpour said that Iran was weighing up importing India’s Bharat Biotech and China’s Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccines in a bid to boost the country’s drive against the disease.

“In addition to importing Russian vaccine, Sputnik V, and its production by the end of the current [Iranian calendar] year (March 20), importing two other foreign-made vaccines, namely India’s Bharat Biotech and China’s Sinopharm, are currently under investigation,” he explained.

In January, Health Minister Saeed Namaki said that there were four different ways to supply the coronavirus vaccine, including direct purchase from a foreign country, procurement from the World Health Organization’s COVAX facility, a joint production with a Cuban company as well as domestic production of the vaccine.

He emphasized that Iran will soon be one of the world’s important manufacturers of the COVID-19 vaccine.

MG

Photo:  Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi are signing the 25-year comprehensive cooperation document in Tehran on Saturday.