TEHRAN – The Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Tajikistan signed a memorandum of understanding here on Sunday to expand cooperation in the field of pharmaceuticals.

The agreement was inked in the presence of the Iranian deputy science minister for international affairs Mohammad-Hossein Nicknam and the Tajik ambassador to Iran Nizomiddin Zohidi, IRNA reported.

The Tajik delegation paid several visits and held negotiations with officials in the Food and Drug Administration, which led to a memorandum of understanding that was signed, Nicknam said.

Tajikistan is one of the countries that has always been a priority for the Islamic Republic of Iran because both countries have a lot in common culturally, historically, and socially, he highlighted.

Stating that medical cooperation between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Republic of Tajikistan has existed from the past until now, Nicknam said: “An Iranian medical center is active in Tajikistan and we hope to be able to expand this cooperation in other fields, especially in the field of medicine and equipment.”

He went on to say that Iran's health system has many advantages and can be the source of many services in the field of education, treatment, and research as well as the exchange of professors and students with Tajikistan.

“Fortunately, there are very good political relations between the two countries, and the way is paved for the expansion of cooperation.”

It should be mentioned that Iran provides 97 percent of its pharmaceutical need domestically, while Tajikistan imports 90 percent of its needed medicine, Nicknam stressed.

On January 18, the Tajik envoy held a meeting with Vahid Haddadi-Asl, the Iranian deputy science minister for international scientific relations.

The two sides emphasized the need to develop scientific and technological cooperation by forming a joint committee in the near future.

Haddadi-Asl said the Exchange of academic staff members, cooperation of academic staff members in scientific projects, and participation in scientific seminars of the two countries should be strengthened.

The Tajik official, for his part, pointed out that Tajikistan is interested in cooperating with Iran, saying: “By exchanging the scientific achievements of the two countries, we can further help the development of the two countries.”

“We are ready for the participation of Iranian professors in scientific conferences of Tajikistan,” the president of the Academy of Sciences of Tajikistan added.

In July 2022, Peyman Salehi, the deputy science minister, said despite U.S. sanctions, the international activities of Iranian scientists have increased year by year, so that more than 35 percent of Iranian articles in Scopus have been multi-national projects.

He made the remarks at the COMSTECH (the Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation) ceremony.

Science diplomacy

Science diplomacy is the use of scientific collaborations among nations to address common problems and build constructive international partnerships.

In 2021, Iranian scientists published more than 77,000 scientific articles in the Scopus database, so that, Iran has been ranked 15th in science production, he said, IRNA reported.

The country also ranked 15th and 16th in the world in terms of scientific references, he added.

Pointing to the history of Iran's scientific activities in the past two decades, Salehi said that Iran ranked 56th in science production in 1996 and ranked 15th in 2021. Accordingly, we are leading the region in science production.

Out of a total of 77,000 articles published by Iranian scientists in the Scopus database last year, 35.7 percent were related to international joint activities. Despite the sanctions, the amount of joint scientific activities of Iranian researchers has increased every year.

Iranian scientists are not limited by geographical and political borders, and apart from multi-national projects, the increase in Iranian researchers’ citations also proves this issue.

Referring to research centers, institutes, and science and technology hubs, he highlighted that in the past years, with the establishment of 240 innovation centers, as well as 49 science and technology parks, we have launched a complete roadmap to transform science into technology.

MG