TEHRAN- At the webinar examining commercial cooperation in the pharmaceutical and medical equipment industries between Iran and Turkey, organized by the International Affairs and Trade Development Department of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, Industries, Mines, and Agriculture (TCCIMA) and in cooperation and coordination with the Economic Section of the Turkish Embassy in Tehran, economic officials from the most important pharmaceutical and medical equipment associations of the two countries, while reviewing and analyzing cooperation opportunities for private sector companies from both sides, emphasized joint production and exports.

Those active in the Iranian and Turkish pharmaceutical and medical equipment industries, in a joint webinar by detailing the capacities and capabilities of both countries, identified the health industry as one of the strategic axes of future commercial cooperation and discussed the details of this cooperation.

According to the Public Relations report of the Tehran Chamber, at this meeting, Mohammad Abdozadeh, Chairman of the Tehran Chamber's Health Economy Commission, introducing Iran as the first founder of the pharmaceutical industry in the MENA region, announced that currently 98 percent of the country's pharmaceutical needs are supplied by 250 domestic companies. Referring to the $5 billion value of the drug market in 2023, he emphasized Iran's capability in producing "high-tech," nano, and biotechnology drugs.

Abdozadeh stated that the quality of Iranian products is guaranteed by membership in the international PIC/S convention, and reported successful exports of these items to countries such as Turkey and Russia.

He mentioned Iran's imports of nearly $1 billion worth of finished drugs and pharmaceutical raw materials, and a slightly lower figure for medical equipment imports, and stressed that if the Turkish Ministry of Health cooperates in registering Iranian drug brands in Turkey, the ground for developing cooperation between pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies from the two countries will be more prepared than ever.

The Chairman of the Iranian Human Medicine Manufacturers Syndicate, stating that over 500 drug and medical equipment manufacturing companies are active in Iran and nearly 17,000 pharmacies are licensed to operate in the country, emphasized that through close cooperation and coordinated planning by the chambers and associations of pharmaceuticals and medical equipment from both countries, in addition to meeting domestic needs, more export markets will open up for both countries.

Hessameddin Hallaj, Deputy of International Affairs and Trade Development at the Tehran Chamber, also said at this specialized webinar: "The health, pharmaceutical, and chemical products value chain is one of the strategic priorities of the Tehran Chamber in developing international trade, and in this regard, Turkey, as one of the key trade partners, holds a special place in our cooperation roadmap."

Hallaj, referring to trade exchange statistics between the two countries in this industry, added: "The approximately $1.5 million export of medicine from Iran to Turkey last year, although indicating a basis of mutual trust, given the enormous infrastructural capacities and scientific capabilities of both sides, this figure only shows a fraction of the existing potential, and a very broad growth space lies ahead for the two countries."

The Tehran Chamber's International Deputy stated that the ultimate goal of holding trade webinars and bilateral dialogues is to define operational projects and synergies for joint entry into third markets.

Ahmet Altug Oguz, Chairman of the Pharmaceutical Committee of the Istanbul Chemicals and Chemical Products Exporters' Association (IKMIB), also announced at this webinar the full readiness of this association to facilitate trade relations between pharmaceutical companies from the two countries.

Referring to the capabilities of the association's 18,000 members, he announced that Turkey's exports of pharmaceutical products to Iran in 2024 reached $11 million, and exports of medical equipment reached $11.4 million.

Oguz, introducing Iran as Turkey's sixth largest export partner in the medical equipment sector, emphasized planning to hold B2B meetings and field visits to deepen these cooperations.

Maryam Tajabadi Ebrahimi, Vice President of the Health Economy Commission of the Tehran Chamber of Commerce, also outlined a roadmap at this webinar for creating a "win-win" partnership between Iran and Turkey in the probiotic industry. By detailing Iran's capabilities, including 85 active producers and 163 licensed products, she described the country's scientific infrastructure as complementary to Turkey's growing and dynamic market.

The President of the Probiotic and Functional Foods Association listed the areas of human supplements, animal supplements, and cosmetic products as cooperation priorities and proposed a three-stage program including technology exchange, joint production, and finally, regional exports. Tajabadi emphasized that integrating Iran's technical knowledge and high standards with Turkey's trade network could turn these two countries into a main hub of innovation and exports of health-oriented products in the region.

MA