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Hungary hopes to receive small batches of Russian Sputnik V vaccine in December

Larger batches may arrive in late January

MOSCOW, November 27. /TASS/. Hungary hopes to receive small batches of the Russian Sputnik V anti-coronavirus vaccine in December and larger batches - in late January, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said on Friday.

"Our task is to receive small batches [of the Sputnik V vaccine] from Russia in December and larger batches may arrive in late January," he said in an interview with the Rossiya-24 television channel.

According to the minister, it is quite difficult to speak about exact volumes of supplies and concrete dates because of the abnormal situation. He also said that it was a matter of technology to organize production of the Russian vaccine in Hungary. "We would be glad if it (organization of Sputnik V production in Hungary - TASS) happens," he said. "Companies say it may take up to 18 months to introduce the Russian vaccine production technologies."

"We will see if this period could be shortened. If it really takes so much time, naturally, it will be non-competitive. In this case we will have to focus only on purchases," he added.

Hungary is the first European Union nation to express interest in the Russian vaccine.

Among the topics discussed at a session of the Russian-Hungarian intergovernmental economic cooperation in Budapest on Friday were the extension of the Russian gas supplies agreement and prospects of cooperation in the space sector. The session was co-chaired by the commission’s co-chairmen, Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko and Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto.