Ukraine and Uzbekistan deepen cooperation in the pharmaceutical sector

Ukraine and Uzbekistan have agreed to develop partnership in healthcare and remove regulatory barriers to the export of medicines. During a visit to Tashkent, a Ukrainian delegation, including representatives of the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Economy and Environment, the Federation of Employers of Ukraine and the heads of leading pharmaceutical companies, met with Abdulla Azizov, Head of Medical and Pharmaceutical Industry Development Agency under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan and First Deputy Minister of Health.

During the visit, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine and the Center for Pharmaceutical Products Safety, a state institution under the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan, signed a memorandum of understanding on regulatory cooperation in the field of medicines and medical devices. The document provides for the development of cooperation, the exchange of expertise and experience, and the strengthening and improvement of national regulatory systems.

The parties shared experience in developing the healthcare systems of Ukraine and Uzbekistan. In particular, they discussed state medical guarantee programs, medicine reimbursement mechanisms, hospital procurement, and approaches to ensuring the population has access to affordable medicines. Special attention was given to the prospects of localizing the production of Ukrainian medicines in Uzbekistan, attracting investment, and transferring technology.

Participants also discussed conducting GMP inspections of Ukrainian pharmaceutical enterprises, taking into account the security situation in Ukraine. In particular, they considered the possibility of using a remote inspection format to ensure the uninterrupted supply of Ukrainian medicines to Uzbekistan.

"We see prospects for joint production, investment and technological partnership. A number of Ukrainian pharmaceutical companies are already implementing their production projects in Uzbekistan. At the same time, it is important to resolve the issue of GMP inspections of Ukrainian enterprises, which cannot be carried out in the usual format because of the war. We are grateful to our Uzbek colleagues for their constructive dialogue and readiness to jointly seek solutions that will ensure uninterrupted export of Ukrainian medicines," said Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Yevhenii Honchar.

During the visit, the Ukrainian delegation also visited Tashkent Pharma Park, an innovative pharmaceutical cluster being developed on 130 hectares, which is intended to bring together production, science, education and research. Members of the Ukrainian delegation familiarized themselves with the complex's infrastructure, its approaches to attracting investors, and state incentives for developing the pharmaceutical industry, including tax and customs preferences.

"Uzbekistan demonstrates an interesting approach to developing the pharmaceutical industry. To attract investors, the state is developing specialized infrastructure, offering tax incentives and creating opportunities for cooperation with scientific and educational institutions. This experience is particularly valuable for Ukraine in the context of developing its own industry and attracting investment. At the same time, we are interested in enabling Ukrainian companies to implement their projects on the Uzbek market more actively," commented Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine Vitalii Petruk.

"Success in foreign markets often depends on the ability to combine the capabilities of business and the state. Even strong companies cannot always resolve issues of access to foreign markets or the removal of regulatory barriers on their own. That is why joint work between state institutions and business is important. Such partnership opens new opportunities for Ukrainian manufacturers and contributes to the development of economic cooperation between the countries," said Ruslan Illichov, Director General of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine.

Following the meetings, the parties agreed to continue cooperation between the countries, exchange experience, and develop joint projects in the pharmaceutical sector.

As a reminder, Minister of Health of Ukraine Viktor Liashko earlier held a meeting with Minister of Health of the Republic of Uzbekistan Eldor Adilov, during which they discussed ensuring the uninterrupted supply of quality Ukrainian medicines to Uzbekistan, in particular GMP certification of pharmaceutical enterprises, as well as the exchange of experience in reforming the healthcare system.