India and Hungary Signed MoU for Promotion of Traditional Systems of Medicine

India and Hungary signed the bilateral agreement for the promotion and development of traditional systems of medicine on 17 October 2013. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on behalf of India by Santosh Chowdhary, Union Minister of State for Health & Family Welfare and Zolton Banog, Minister of National Resources of Hungary in the presence of Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India and Viktor Orban, Prime Minister of Hungary, at Hyderabad House.

Highlights of the MoU

• The main objective of this MoU is to strengthen, promote and develop cooperation in the field of traditional systems of medicine between the two countries on the basis of equality and mutual benefits.
• The MoU encourages and promotes cooperation to enhance the use of traditional systems of medicine, exchange of regulatory information on operational licensing to practice traditional medicine.
• It also encourages marketing authorization of medicines in both countries; promote the exchange of experts for training of practitioners, para-medics, scientists, teaching professionals and students in traditional systems of medicine.
• The signing of MoU will give boost to bilateral cooperation between the two countries in the areas of traditional medicines which will open new vistas for exploring the potential of economic, commercial and tourism development in both the countries.
• With the help of this MoU, India will be able to establish the Indian systems of medicines namely Ayurveda, Unani, Yoga and Naturopathy, Siddha, Homeophathy and Sowa-Rigpa (Namchi) that will help in establishing the global recognition of India’s well established systems in the world over.

It is important to note that India has already signed the agreements like these with other countries such as Malaysia and Trininad and Tobago and is in the process of signing agreements with Russia, Nepal, Srilanka, Serbia and Mexico.