MOSCOW, December 28. /TASS/. Former Moldovan President Igor Dodon has said in an interview with TASS that he is ready to be inoculated only with the Russian coronavirus vaccine, since he distrusts its Western analogues.

"Regarding the vaccine, we do not have a vaccine in Moldova yet. Of course, I am ready to be inoculated, but only with the Russian vaccine, I have said this repeatedly. I do not trust these Western analogues, which were made hastily to show that there is not only the Russian vaccine, but that they have it too. It’s like the arms race during the Cold War era," he noted. "Now, they saw that Russia had developed an effective vaccine, they quickly made something and say that they have it as well. I am not going to take the risk. I have advised and I do advise all our citizens who decide to be vaccinated [to choose] the Russian vaccine only," the former president emphasized.

"Our partners in the [State] Duma said that we should address [the issue] as soon as possible and begin vaccinating at least some part of the population during the first months of next year," the politician added.

Dodon noted that the coronavirus situation in Moldova was worse than in Russia as far as the number of infections per 100,000 people is concerned. Moldova is in the risk zone, given the large diaspora outside the country, he explained. "Mostly in Italy and other European countries, from where the outbreak began to spread in March and April. The situation is complicated, but we are coping with it. We have everything necessary for that: medical professionals, hospital beds and means to combat the pandemic," he specified.