MOSCOW, March 26. /TASS/. Moscow expects that the World Health Organization (WHO) and the European Union (EU) will approve the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said at a briefing on Friday.

"Overseas demand for the Russian vaccine is quite high," he pointed out. "Every day, we either receive applications for vaccine supplies or get confirmations of the vaccine’s approval. Fifty-seven countries have approved the medication on a bilateral basis, 21 have purchased the vaccine and some are ready to launch vaccine production on their soil. We expect the WHO and the European Union to complete the procedures to approve Sputnik V," Zakharova added.

She also noted that "the number of positive responses from foreign officials is growing and media outlets are publishing more unbiased information about the Russian vaccine."

An application for the approval of the Sputnik V vaccine was submitted to the World Health Organization in late January. In early March, the European Medicines Agency announced the start of a rolling review of Sputnik V, aimed at assessing its "compliance with the usual EU standards for effectiveness, safety and quality." Sputnik V is currently in the world’s top three vaccines for the number of countries that have approved it.