MOSCOW, January 25. /TASS/. Supplies of the Russian Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine to Mexico and training of Mexican medics in Russia were among the topics discussed over the phone by Russian and Mexican Presidents, Vladimir Putin and Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, the Kremlin press service said on Monday.
The two presidents "discussed in detail problems of combating the coronavirus infection and ensuring epidemic security," it said.
"The sides discussed issues of the organization of supplies of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine to Mexico and training of Mexican medical specialists in Russia," the press service said.
Both sides "hailed the constructive and mutually beneficial character of the Russian-Mexican relations, which are developing successfully in various areas," the Kremlin said, adding that the presidents agreed to continue contacts.
Meanwhile, Mexican Foreign Minister Marcelo Ebrard wrote on his Twitter account after the telephone talks between the two presidents that Mexico hopes for the soonest beginning of Sputnik V supplies from Russia.
Concluyó llamada telefónica del Presidente López Obrador con Vladimir Putin, Presidente de la Federación de Rusia. Fue cordial y exitosa. Como resultado Hugo López Gatell podrá avanzar con respaldo del gobierno ruso para asegurar arribo de la vacuna sputnik V a la brevedad.
— Marcelo Ebrard C. (@m_ebrard) January 25, 2021
Ebrard said on January 19 that Mexico planned to purchase 7.4 million Sputnik V doses in a period from January to March 2020. It is not yet known when the Mexican regulator issues a permit for the use of the Russian vaccine.
Meanwhile, Kirill Dmitriev, CEO of the Russian Direct Investment Fund, said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel on January 21 that the Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine was expected to be soon registered in Mexico.
In August 2020, Russia became the world’s first country to register a vaccine against the novel coronavirus infection. The vaccine, Sputnik V, was developed by the Gamaleya National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry.