Iranian pharmacists can supply a significant part of Russian pharmacies' needs for medicines, Dmitry Omutnykh, chairman of the Russian Healthcare Importers and Exporters Association, said in an interview with TASS on Tuesday.
"Iran can certainly close very many of our positions - from the pharmacy chain, i.e. goods for everyday use, to more sophisticated areas," he said.
The association chairman noted that "it is not easy to break into the Russian market," including because of the multitude of regulations. "But Iranian pharmaceuticals can both fill the shelves with our pharmacies and take their place in inpatient treatment," the expert said.
According to Omutnykh, "Iran is a reliable and serious partner." "Of course, there are its own difficulties with calculations, logistics and establishing partnerships. Therefore, the country must be dealt with systematically," he explained.
The chairman of the association stressed that "now Russia is extremely interested in modern medical equipment." "Iran produces very high-tech medical equipment, including systems for neurosurgery. The country is also one of the leaders in robotic surgery," he said.
In addition, according to Omutnykh, Iran produces modern drugs to treat rare and oncological diseases. "Tehran is not only a regional but also a global player in the production of medical equipment and drugs. Especially interesting is its experience in the difficult economic realities - the country has been under sanction pressure for decades," says the chairman of the association. - "Iran has been able to prove itself as a country capable of solving the most complex problems".
Russian perspectives in Iran
Omutnykh pointed out that "Iran covers 80-90% of its needs in the medical sphere for many items." "Russian producers have a great desire to enter the Iranian market. However, Iranian producers themselves have a lot to offer," he stressed.
"It is naive to believe that we can bring some simple medicines here," said the chairman of the association. - "Russia's Iranian partners need high technologies that we have, such as immunobiology and biotechnology. Russia has it, Iran does not yet". In addition, according to the interlocutor of TASS, "Russia can offer some developments of functional diagnostics, medicines for blood treatment, serious orthopedic and traumatological diseases".
The Association of Importers and Exporters in Healthcare was created in 2016 to promote Russian producers of drugs and medical equipment on foreign markets, as well as to attract technology and drugs to Russia from third countries. The association includes more than 170 Russian and foreign organizations.
GSV "Russia - Islamic world"
Photo: Creative Commons
Based on materials from TASS