TEHRAN – Pasteur Institute of Iran (IPI) has joined Asia-Pacific regional network, Alireza Biglari, head of the IPI said on Tuesday.

Located in 25 countries on five continents, the Institut Pasteur International Network includes 32 institutions, which are united by shared values and missions for the benefit of populations focusing on scientific research, public health services, education alliances, innovation, and technology transfer, according to its website.

The Institut Pasteur International Network was categorized in five regions of Africa-Indian Ocean, the Americas, Asia-Pacific, Europe, North Africa-Iran.

After following up on the issue over the past year, at a meeting of the Pasteur Institute's international network of presidents held in Yaounde, Cameroon, in late November, the network's general assembly voted for Iran to be excluded from the North Africa-Iran regional network and join the Asia-Pacific regional network, Biglari explained.

The North Africa-Iran regional network included Iran, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, and the Asia-Pacific network consists of China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Cambodia, Caledonia and Laos, he said.

He went on to highlight that from now on, the Pasteur Institute of Iran will have the opportunity to conduct joint researches and educational activities with a stronger and more coherent network.

The two priorities of the Asia-Pacific regional network adopted at the meeting include microbial resistance, computational medicine, and bioinformatics, and the IPI will pursue joint programs in these two areas, he concluded.

FB/MG