MOSCOW, March 17. /TASS/. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and Hungarian Ambassador to Moscow Norbert Konkoly have discussed cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
"The parties paid particular attention to cooperation in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, including the delivery of Russia’s Sputnik V two-dose vaccine to Hungary," the statement reads.
According to the Russian Foreign Ministry, Lavrov and Konkoly discussed a wide range of issues concerning Russia-Hungary relations. "They expressed satisfaction with the fact that despite the complicated epidemiological situation in the world, Russia and Hyngary continue to boost cooperation in the spirit of pragmatism and mutual benefit. Major cooperation mechanisms continue to operate, making it possible for the two countries’ foreign ministries to maintain regular dialogue," the statement said.
The meeting also involved Russian Ambassador to Hungary Yevgeny Stanislavov.
In November 2020, Hungary became the first member of the European Union to receive Sputnik V samples for research purposes. The country’s National Public Health Center approved the vaccine in February 2021.
On August 11, 2020, Russia became the first country to register a coronavirus vaccine, which was named Sputnik V. The adenoviral vector vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology.