Iran inks MoUs with India, China

Iranian officials announced on Wednesday that the country has signed a number of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with India and China on cooperation in the development and advancement of traditional medicine.\"One of the measures adopted by the health ministry is increasing international interactions and establishing effective relations with the countries which have a word to say in the arena of traditional medicine,\" Abbas Haji Akhoundi, an advisor to the health minister, told FNA. He reiterated that the country has endorsed MoUs with China and India to widen relations and boost research cooperation with the two countries on traditional and herbal medicines. Iran is among the most geographically diverse countries in the world. This ancient nation can be divided into 12 separate geographic environments and boasts 5 major climates. No wonder Iran is so diverse when it comes to the natural herbal remedies it produces. This astounding diversity in Iran\'s geography allows the country to host more than 7500 species of plants--around 1800 of which are used in medicine. Many of Iran\'s most precious herbal treasures are plants found nowhere else in the world. The WHO announced that there are currently 30 companies producing natural herbal remedies in Iran. The government of Iran requires all herbal remedies to be manufactured to the same quality standards as pharmaceutical drugs.