BERLIN, April 26. /TASS/. The German authorities should recognize inoculations with vaccines not approved in the European Union, Minister President of Germany's federal state of Saxony Michael Kretschmer said in an interview with the Funke media group.

"We hope that Sputnik V will be approved in Europe. In this case, the issue will be resolved, but until then, we need the relevant regulations," he pointed out. "Border regions need effective solutions and as a country maintaining international ties, we should recognize inoculations with vaccines produced in other countries," Kretschmer stressed.

Kretschmer said on April 22 that Germany planned to purchase up to 30 million doses of Russia’s Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine if it was approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA). The Kremlin press service said on the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin and Kretschmer had held a phone call, paying "particular attention to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.".