Afghanistan and Iran have signed an implementation plan to strengthen regulation of food, medicine, and health products based on a 2023 cooperation agreement.
The plan was signed by Acting Director General of International Affairs of Food and Drug Administration of Iran (IFDA) Hamidreza Inanlou and Afghanistan’s visiting Deputy Minister of Public Health for Food and Drug Mawlawi Hamdullah Zahid in Tehran on Monday.
“It aims at improving cooperation in the fields of food, medicine and medical equipment including exchange of technical knowledge, specialised training, and improvement of testing methods,” IFDA News Agency said in a statement.
In Kabul, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Health also said in a post on X, “The plan focuses on fostering product registration, stronger import oversight, combating smuggling, and enhancing technical and laboratory cooperation”.
Iran has not officially recognised the Taliban-led Interim Government of Afghanistan, but it has maintained diplomatic ties with its eastern neighbour as it has been hosting an estimated number of 5-6 million Afghan refugees for 45 years.
Tehran is also fighting against narcotics smugglers, human traffickers and terrorists along its border with Afghanistan and Pakistan and has started construction of border walls.
According to Iranian officials, the plan provides a framework for expanding cooperation in the field of regulation, facilitating registration processes, transferring technical experiences and empowering human resources in the field of food, medicine and medical equipment.
Iran also announced that a memorandum of understanding on cooperation between the IFDA Reference Laboratories and the Quality Control Laboratory of Food, Medicine and Health Products of Afghanistan was concluded during Zahid’s visit.
Inanlou said the MoU provides the basis for the exchange of technical knowledge, specialised training, the improvement of testing methods, and synergy in the field of quality control of food, drugs, and health products.
“The implementation of this cooperation can lead to greater convergence of the regulatory systems of the two countries, the improvement of public health, and the development of sustainable regional cooperation in the field of food, drugs, and medical equipment,” he added.
Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and he...
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Monday that his government would begin legal proceedings to remove President Tamás Sulyok if he contin...
Hundreds of people were left homeless after a massive fire in Indonesia's capital Jakarta affected more than 300 houses, according to state-run media ...
Japan warned residents in Amami and southern Kyushu to prepare for torrential rain on Tuesday (2 June), after Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi battered Ok...
Competing narratives continue to shape perceptions of the war in Ukraine, with Russian leadership suggesting a possible end phase while Ukrainian offi...
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Monday that his government would begin legal proceedings to remove President Tamás Sulyok if he continues to reject calls to resign.
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday (1 June) that he held productive discussions with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and, through intermediaries, with the Iran-backed Hezbollah movement. He expressed optimism that a fragile ceasefire in Lebanon could hold despite hostilities.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is resuming operations on 2 June after extensive modernisation works. Officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye are set to gather in Akhalkalaki for a launch event marking the reopening of one of the Middle Corridor's most important transport links.
Chile's far-right President José Antonio Kast, who took office in March, promised a legislative agenda that prioritises fighting crime, cutting spending and boosting economic growth in his first national address on Monday.
U.S. rapper Kanye West, now known as Ye, performed to a crowd of 118,000 people in Istanbul on Saturday night, marking his first concert in Europe in more than a decade, despite being barred from performing in several countries over past antisemitic remarks.
Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and heavy rain to Japan's south-western islands.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held talks with Lebanese President and Israeli Prime Minister on efforts to ease tensions between Israel and Lebanon. According to a U.S. official, Washington has proposed a plan aimed at achieving a gradual de-escalation of hostilities.
Unsealed records from the U.S. Department of Justice have renewed scrutiny of lawyer Robert Amsterdam after documents revealed communications between his law firm and Jeffrey Epstein's office. The disclosures have drawn attention because of Amsterdam's prominent role in Armenia.
The United States has moved to close a regulatory gap that may have allowed advanced AI chips to reach Chinese-linked firms overseas despite export restrictions.
When Armenians vote on 7 June, they will be voting in an election shaped by months of political change and a rapidly deepening relationship with the European Union. The result may not only determine who governs Armenia but also the future direction of the country's geopolitical alignment.
The Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway is resuming operations on 2 June after extensive modernisation works. Officials from Azerbaijan, Georgia and Türkiye are set to gather in Akhalkalaki for a launch event marking the reopening of one of the Middle Corridor's most important transport links.
Kazakhstan is open to expanding its oil export routes through Azerbaijan and advancing joint energy infrastructure projects across the Caspian region, Energy Minister Yerlan Akkenzhenov told AnewZ in an exclusive interview in Baku.
Russia's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova praised Georgia for resisting Western pressure (30 May), defending its national interests and pursuing a "multi-vector foreign policy" - language that closely mirrors the rhetoric of the ruling Georgian Dream party.
As Armenia approaches parliamentary elections, Russia appears to be increasing political and economic pressure on Yerevan, signalling that closer integration with the EU could lead to significant changes in labour, transport and energy arrangements between the two countries.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment