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Coronavirus pandemic

Togo files official request for shipment of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine

According to the top diplomat, only three African countries have registered the Russian vaccine so far: Algeria, Tunisia and the Republic of Guinea

ST. PETERSBURG, February 16. /TASS/. The Togolese Republic officially contacted Russia, with a cooperation request for shipment of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said following talks with his Togolese counterpart Robert Dussey.

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"Our colleagues from Togo contacted us with an official request for cooperation in the shipment of this vaccine. We must take some action, perform certain [legal] procedures in Togo, and, as soon as it happens, we will be ready to look into practical steps," Lavrov pointed out.

According to Lavrov, only three African countries have registered the Russian vaccine so far: Algeria, Tunisia and the Republic of Guinea.

"The sooner the vaccine will be registered [in Togo], the sooner we will be able to decide on the shipment," he continued.

Lavrov recalled that a video conference took place recently between the Russian Direct Investment Fund and the African Union’s vaccine acquisition task force.

"Right now, we simply need to finalize certain administrative procedures; we will initiate the registration procedure. We will wait for Sputnik V in our country with great anticipation," Dussey said in turn.

On August 11, 2020, Russia became the first country in the world to register its coronavirus vaccine, the Sputnik V, developed by the Gamaleya National Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology.

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