Tehran – In a bid to bolster agricultural trade and address trade imbalances, Iran and Brazil convened their third round of bilateral discussions via video conference, hosted by Iran's Veterinary Organization.

The virtual meeting pivoted around key areas including sanitary quarantine protocols for animal and plant products, and collaborative scientific and technological initiatives.

"Enhanced cooperation between Iran and Brazil will streamline trade, ensure adherence to technical and health standards, and strengthen our scientific collaboration," Alireza Rafieipour, head of Iran’s Veterinary Organization, said.

He emphasized the need to rectify the current trade imbalance by expanding Iranian exports to Brazil.

Rafieipour pointed to the existing trade flow of meat and livestock inputs from Brazil to Iran, and called for reciprocal access for Iranian horticultural products like apples, kiwis, raisins, and saffron. He outlined potential avenues for further collaboration, including joint ventures in pharmaceuticals, biological materials, vaccine development, and biotechnology.

"We are particularly interested in joint production of high-tech drugs under license, and expanding cooperation on raw animal products within established standards," he said.