Uzbekistan and Ukraine signed a memorandum of cooperation in the field of drug regulation

Uzbekistan and Ukraine have concluded a memorandum of cooperation in the field of drug regulation

From October 19 to 21, an Ukrainian delegation led by Deputy Minister of Health Yevhen Honchar paid a working visit to Uzbekistan, the press service of the Ukrainian Embassy in Tashkent reported.

The delegation also included Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine Vitaliy Petruk, head of the Federation of Employers of Ukraine Ruslan Illichov, and representatives of pharmaceutical companies.

During the visit, negotiations were held with representatives of the Ministry of Health of Uzbekistan, the leadership of the Agency for Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry, the Center for Good Practices, and the Center for Safety of Pharmaceutical Products.

"The parties exchanged experience in the development of the healthcare systems of Uzbekistan and Ukraine. In particular, they discussed state medical guarantee programs, drug cost reimbursement mechanisms, hospital procurements, and approaches to providing the population with affordable medicines," the press service of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine reported.

In particular, the parties agreed to develop partnership in the healthcare sector and eliminate regulatory barriers to the supply of Ukrainian medicines to the Uzbek market.

The talks also addressed the preservation and expansion of the presence of Ukrainian medical companies on the market of Uzbekistan amidst the ongoing war of Russia against Ukraine and new legislative requirements introduced in Uzbekistan in August 2025.

As a reminder, starting January 1, 2026, local and foreign pharmaceutical manufacturers in Uzbekistan must obtain a national GMP certificate for state registration of drugs and renewal of registration certificates.

Earlier, on October 13, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine reported that although Uzbekistan's current requirements entail inspections directly at production sites, conducting such inspections in Ukraine is difficult due to the war and Russian shelling. This, in turn, creates risks for the renewal of certificates for Ukrainian manufacturers and the supply of medicines to Uzbekistan.

"This issue is important for the Ukrainian pharmaceutical industry, because, according to estimates by industry associations, Uzbekistan accounts for a significant share of Ukrainian drug exports," the Ukrainian Ministry of Health noted in a statement.

The Ukrainian side proposed allowing remote or hybrid inspections for the duration of martial law, as well as temporarily extending the validity of existing GMP certificates.

According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, Uzbekistan expressed readiness to assist in resolving this issue. "In particular, Uzbekistan is already preparing amendments to legislation that will provide for the possibility of conducting remote inspections of pharmaceutical enterprises," the department's report says.

During the visit, the Director of the Agency for Development of the Pharmaceutical Industry, Abdulla Azizov, discussed this issue with the Ukrainian delegation. The parties paid attention to the development of bilateral cooperation, the localization of drug production, attracting investments, and exchanging experience in regulating the pharmaceutical industry, the press service of the agency reported.

The participants discussed conducting GMP inspections of Ukrainian pharmaceutical enterprises, taking into account the security situation in Ukraine. The possibility of using a remote inspection format to ensure uninterrupted supplies of Ukrainian medicines to Uzbekistan was considered.

"We see prospects for creating joint ventures, attracting 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 conducting GMP inspections of Ukrainian enterprises, which cannot be carried out in the usual format due to the war. We are grateful to our Uzbek colleagues for the constructive dialogue and readiness to jointly seek solutions that will ensure uninterrupted export of Ukrainian medicines," noted Deputy Minister of Health of Ukraine Yevhen Honchar.

On October 21, the First Deputy Director of the Center for Safety of Pharmaceutical Products of Uzbekistan, Nozim Berdiyev, and Yevhen Honchar also discussed expanding cooperation.

Following the negotiations, the Center for Safety of Pharmaceutical Products and the Ministry of Health of Ukraine signed a memorandum on regulatory cooperation in the field of medicines and medical devices.

The document provides for the exchange of regulatory information, expert knowledge, and practices to strengthen the capacity of specialized institutions of the two countries and ensure the quality, safety, and effectiveness of medicines and medical devices entering the markets of Uzbekistan and Ukraine.

During the visit of the Ukrainian delegation, Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine Vitaliy Petruk also met with Deputy Minister of Investment, Industry and Trade of Uzbekistan Akram Aliyev. Representatives of Ukrainian business also attended the meeting.

The parties discussed the intensification of trade, economic, and investment cooperation, as well as prospects for resuming the regular work of the Uzbekistan-Ukraine intergovernmental commission.

The Ukrainian delegation also visited the Tashkent Pharma Park research and production pharmaceutical cluster, where they learned about the infrastructure, research facilities, and opportunities for the development of pharmaceutical production.

"Uzbekistan demonstrates an interesting approach to the development of the pharmaceutical industry. To attract investors, the state develops specialized infrastructure, offers tax incentives, and creates opportunities for cooperation with scientific and educational institutions. [...] We are interested in Ukrainian companies being able to more actively implement their projects in the Uzbek market," commented Deputy Minister of Economy and Environment of Ukraine Vitaliy Petruk.

In addition, representatives of the delegation visited the production site of the Ukrainian company Lekchim, which produces drugs in Uzbekistan.

Gazeta notes that the company Lekchim, which opened a representative office in Uzbekistan in 2021, built a production complex near Tashkent. In February 2024, Ukrainian Ambassador Mykola Doroshenko reported that due to difficulties in obtaining land cadastral documents, equipping the plant with machinery was delayed. The embassy expected the company to proceed to this stage soon. The project cost is estimated at $42.5 million.

In parallel with the government delegation, a group of entrepreneurs from the Vinnytsia region of Ukraine visited Uzbekistan. According to the embassy, three plants owned by companies from this region are already operating in the country. The entrepreneurs plan to expand cooperation with Uzbekistan in various sectors.

Representatives of businesses from both countries held a round table with the participation of officials from the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Construction and Housing and Communal Services, the Agency for Industrial Cooperation and Public Procurement, and other state institutions of Uzbekistan.

"One of the medical centers in Vinnytsia has a unique qualification in treating children diagnosed with cerebral palsy and already treats over 300 patients from Central Asia annually. The management of the center came up with a proposal that will potentially meet the interests of both countries and have important humanitarian significance: to start providing professional help and performing surgical operations on the territory of Uzbekistan," the embassy reported following the meeting of businessmen with diplomats of the diplomatic mission.