ST. PETERSBURG, June 3./TASS/. Russia and Vietnam will establish contacts over the production of a Russian coronavirus vaccine in Vietnam, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told journalists on Thursday.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) "is interested in contacts with countries" that want to manufacture Russian vaccines against coronavirus, the press secretary said. "I am sure that contacts will be also established with the Vietnamese side to discuss prospects for the launch of production," Peskov maintained.

The RDIF is expected to report to President Vladimir Putin at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday about the countries that are already launching the manufacture of Russian jabs, Peskov added.

The Vietnam News Agency said earlier that President Nguyen Xuan Phuc had expressed hope in a letter to the Russian leader that his country would cooperate with Russia on producing coronavirus vaccines. For now, Russia’s Sputnik V is one of the two shots officially allowed for use in Vietnam. AstraZeneca is the other jab certified by the country’s health ministry.