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Coronavirus pandemic

Sweden shows signs of interest in Russian coronavirus vaccine

According to the envoy, Moscow used diplomatic channels to send Sweden a cooperation offer on the vaccine’s use, production and dissemination, but Russia is still awaiting an official response

STOCKHOLM, October 13. /TASS/. Swedish experts have begun paying attention to cooperation with Russia on its coronavirus vaccine dubbed Sputnik V, Russian Ambassador to Sweden Viktor Tatarintsev told TASS Tuesday.

"We note that Stockholm has started showing signs of interest in the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V," he underlined.

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According to the envoy, Moscow used diplomatic channels to send Sweden a cooperation offer on the vaccine’s use, production and dissemination, but Russia is still awaiting an official response. At the same time, the diplomat emphasized the fact that Swedish official experts had started paying attention to the vaccine though local media. In particular, he highlighted the fact that the Swedish government’s coordinator for coronavirus vaccination Rikard Bergstrom told Dagens Nyheter that the vaccine developed by Russia’s Gamaleya center is "interesting." The Swede also confirmed that the Russian cooperation offer is being studied now, he is soon planning to discuss the potential cooperation on the vaccine with Russian experts. The newspaper also cited the comment of the Russian ambassador on advantages of the Russian vaccine and prospects of commercial cooperation to advance it in the world.

"I hope that the positive signals printed in the Swedish press regarding Stockholm’s possible interest in cooperating in this sphere will soon translate into an official response to Russia," Tatarintsev added.

On August 11, Russia became the first country in the world to register a coronavirus vaccine named Sputnik V, which was developed by Gamaleya Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology of the Russian Health Ministry. The injection passed clinical trials in June-July. The vaccine is based on an already known platform that was used to create a number of other injections. The Russian Health Ministry underlined that judging by the experience of using such vaccines, they are capable of providing a long-term immunity for up to two years. According to Kirill Dmitriev, head of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia received preliminary applications to supply more than one billion doses of the Russian breakthrough vaccine from 20 countries. He noted that Latin American, Middle Eastern and Asian countries are most interested to buy it, while a number of contracts has already been finalized.

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