Health Minister of Ukraine Alexander Kvitashvili has signed a UAH 750 million agreement on medicine procurement using budget funds with Britain's Crown Agents international procurement development agency.

The agreement was signed in Kyiv on November 6.

Under the agreement, the agency will buy medicines under adult and children cancer treatment programs.

"We hope that starting from the procurement cycle of next year all procurement tenders will be passed over to international organizations," Kvitashvili said.

Senor Consultant of Crown Agents Christine Jackson then told reporters that the procurement procedure could have actually started on November 6.

An announcement will be posted on the websites of the Health Ministry and Crown Agents, inviting all suppliers of cancer treating medicines to take part in the tender.

Jackson expressed hope that there will be many offers.

She said that bidders are to meet tough conditions foreseen in the agency's procedures.

"International criteria will be observed. We believe that medicines that will be bought will meet these criteria," she said.

"This is an open process for everyone who will respond to our announcement," she said.

As reported, the Health Ministry plans to buy medicines through UNICEF to the tune of UAH 800 million. The ministry has already transferred UAH 620 million to UNDP for procurements. In general, the ministry said, international organizations are expected to handle medicine procurements worth UAH 2.197 billion.