TEHRAN– Iran and Russia have agreed to enhance their cooperation by conducting joint projects in the medical equipment sector.

A delegation of Russian officials visited the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology this morning to discuss potential ways to strengthen the cooperation, IRNA reported.

The Russian delegation expressed interest in collaborating with Iran on technology commercialization of knowledge-based products in the field of medical equipment.

During the meeting, the deputy science minister, Hassan Zamanian, for his part,  highlighted the positive relationship between Iran and Russia, stating, “With the establishment of the international science and technology Park, Iran has succeeded in boosting collaborations with various countries, particularly Iran's neighbors, including Russia, through fruitful interactions and technology exchanges,” Zamanian added.

Referring to the establishment of the Medicinal Chemistry Research Institute, the official elaborated on the capabilities and future plans of the organization in producing medical equipment and rare medicines, as well as the commercialization of manufactured products.

Visiting prominent projects in the field of medical equipment, such as manufacturing dialysis machines, portable laboratories, and angiography equipment at the Electrical and Electronics Research Institute, the delegation gained insight into the scientific capabilities of the Iranian Research Organization for Science and Technology and International Science and Technology Park.

In initial negotiations, the Russian officials asked for the implementation of similar projects in Russia.

Both sides have already made agreements for the implementation of joint projects as well as the establishment of related companies from each country in the respective international technology parks.

Document on health cooperation

On March 1, a comprehensive document between the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Russian Federation was signed by Deputy Health Minister Mohammad-Hossein Niknam and his Russian counterpart Sergei Glagolev.

The agreement was signed on Friday, during the closing ceremony of the 17th Joint Economic Committee meeting which was held in Tehran.

The memorandum of understanding was compiled following several rounds of technical negotiations between the ministries of health of the two countries.

It lays the groundwork for cooperation between the parties in various fields, including joint supply and production of medicines and medical equipment, modern and digital technologies, and academic cooperation, the Health Ministry website reported.

It also involves training health professionals, conducting health research, and managing communicable and non-communicable diseases.

During the negotiations, the two parties welcomed the idea of holding annual meetings.

The two officials also highlighted cooperation in research and education, artificial intelligence, and modern technologies, particularly vaccines and pharmaceutical raw materials, IRIB reported.

More medical imports from Iran

In May 2023, Heidar Mohammadi, the head of the Food and Drug Administration, met Glagolev in Moscow, saying Russia was seeking to facilitate medical imports from Iran.

“We are determined to have interactions with Russia in the field of health,” IRNA quoted Mohammadi as saying.

Mohammadi pointed out that Iran-made medical devices are currently exported to 55 countries around the world.

The Russian official, for his part, expressed hope that relations will be enhanced in the field of technology transfer.

“Certainly, we have a lot of motivation to introduce our manufacturers to Iran and also visit Iranian companies to boost cooperation in the future.”

He also expressed his interest in further cooperation in the field of combating infectious diseases and expanding medical tourism.

In October 2022, Hossein Shomali, an official with the Food and Drug Administration said Iran exported medicine worth $7.5 million to Russia in the [Iranian calendar] year 1400 (March 2021-March 2022).

Biological medicine accounts for a major portion of the products exported from Iran to Russia, ISNA quoted Shomali as saying.

The pharmaceutical industry is one of the active and important industries, which during the past years has been able to meet the domestic need for medicines to an acceptable level with significant growth.

At the same time, one of the solutions for the development of the pharmaceutical industry, considering the large volume of the pharmaceutical consumption market in the world, is the export, he highlighted.

Exporting medicine has advantages such as saving foreign currency and thus facilitating the production cycle with the possibility of importing raw materials, it also can lead to the reduction of production costs, and on the other hand, it can encourage the manufacturing company to improve product quality, he explained.

Health Minister Bahram Einollahi has said many countries in the region are asking Iran for help with issues related to health.

Emphasizing that all diseases are currently treated in the country, the minister added: “With the help of scientists, we were able to educate efficient human resources,” ISNA reported.

MT/MG