IFP - Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education Hassan Qazizadeh Hashemi and his Belgian counterpart Maggie Celine Louise De Block have discussed expansion of bilateral health ties in Brussels.�



During the Tuesday meeting, the two sides conferred on ways to develop Tehran-Brussels mutual cooperation in the field of health and hygiene.

The Iranian minister outlined part of the Islamic Republic�s accomplishments and achievements in the field of health and medical equipment.

De Block, for her part, called for further cooperation between Iran and EU member states, particularly Belgium, in the fields of health, medical equipment, and pharmaceuticals.

According to a Farsi report by�IRIB News Agency, a Memorandum of Understanding on the Comprehensive Cooperation on Electronic Registration of Patients� Health Information is going to be signed by the two sides.

Qazizadeh Hashemi has travelled to Brussels at the invitation of the European Commissioner for Health and Food Safety Vytenis Andriukaitis.

The Iranian minister will later meet with EU Commissioners to issue joint statements in the field of health.

A Summit will also be held revolving around economic opportunities in the field of health. This summit will be held with the participation Iranian Minister of Health and Medical Education, members of the public sector and private companies and Belgian companies.

After a two-day trip to Belgium, Qazizadeh Hashemi will head to Hungary.

The Iranian minister�s visit to Brussels comes a few weeks after Secretary-general of Flanders� ministry of health in Belgium traveled to Iran and met with Iranian deputy minister of health. Karine Moykens voiced readiness to cooperate with Iran on constructing hospitals in the Islamic Republic.

She deemed the meetings with the Iranian delegation successful in having paved the ground for further cooperation with Iran.

Voicing readiness to cooperate with Tehran on health services and construction of hospitals, Moykens said more meetings will be held between Belgian companies and the Iranian side on expanding cooperation in this line.

�Exchanging positive, scientific and effective experiences in the field of management and construction of hospitals is of great importance to us,� she said. �We can help Iran to reduce the number of hospital beds and therefore the costs of health and treatment by taking care of patients at home with the use of new electronic laboratory technologies.�

�The Belgian Agfa Corporate�s project with Iranian Imam Khomeini Hospital in the field of electronic hospital infrastructures can open new doors to exchanging experiences with Iran,� she added.