VLADIVOSTOK, September 2. /TASS/. The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) invested 22 bln rubles ($302 mln) in the Sputnik V vaccine, head of the fund, Kirill Dmitriev said speaking at the sixth Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok.
"RDIF has done a great job to convince a large number of countries that Sputnik is one of the safest and most effective vaccines. RDIF has invested 22 billion rubles in this work, taking risks. Not fully understanding how much the vaccine would be in demand, we shouldered this investment risk," he noted.
Dmitriev recalled that many doubted whether it was worth entering foreign markets, but "entering the foreign market was the only right choice, to independently show uniquely correct positive data on the efficacy and safety of the Russian vaccine and receive international recognition."
"I would also like to tell you about how Sputnik performed against the Delta strain. Now it is clear that the whole world has faced this challenge. So, what can we see? What is going on in the United States and Israel? There is a wholly powerful upsurge in the infection. Is it happening in Russia and Argentina, where they mainly use the Sputnik vaccine? We see that the situation is under better control. The question arises - is this a coincidence or a consistent pattern? We know that this is a consistent pattern," he said.
Dmitriev stressed that everyone should play their part in the fight against the pandemic, and it is necessary to vaccinate.
"It is very important to do this not just because someone is forcing you to do so, but because data from all countries, independent date, show that Sputnik is the most effective and safest vaccine, and it is really in high demand in a large number of countries. Therefore, we have been calling on Russians from the very first day to get vaccinated, because this is really the only effective, reliable way to protect both yourself and your loved ones," he said.