TEHRAN- Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI), said on Monday that Iran is willing to export radiopharmaceuticals to Turkey.

Eslami made the remarks in a meeting with Hicabi Kirlangic, the Turkish ambassador to Iran.

The AEOI chief indicated that collaboration in export of Iranian radiopharmaceuticals to Turkey will resume in light of the two nations’ prior experiences.

Praising the long-standing ties between Iran and Turkey, Eslami noted that the geographical proximity of the two nations has molded their interactions to be friendly and understanding.

“We have been able to maintain friendly relations with vigilance and mutual cooperation,” he added. 

The top nuclear official also pointed to Iran’s experience in building and maintaining nuclear power plants, saying Tehran is now ready to train nuclear experts and transfer the expertise of the AEOI subsidiaries in terms of operating, maintaining, and repairing power facilities to the Turkish side. 

Kirlangic, for his part, pointed to the two neighboring states’ historical ties and cultural affinities, saying that Turkiye has a transparent position on the use of peaceful nuclear energy and Ankara supports the right of different countries, including Iran, to develop nuclear energy for civilian uses.

In remarks earlier this month, Eslami indicated that Iran will quickly become a center for the manufacturing and export of radiopharmaceuticals.

The manufacturing capacity in this scientific field might be boosted by five to seven times, he said, highlighting Iran’s advancements in production of radiopharmaceuticals for the detection and treatment of illnesses.

The AEOI director declared Iran had wanted to become a major producer of deuterium pharmaceuticals in December 2022.

In April 2021, the AEOI began operating the second phase of its deuterium production unit at the Arak heavy water reactor facility in the central region of Iran.