Russian, Belarusian PMs discuss plans for Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine production

Russian Belarusian PMs have discussed the ongoing clinical trials of the Russian Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine. The two leaders also discussed topical issues of cooperation in trade, economic, energy, transport and logistics spheres.

Moscow:Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin and his Belarusian counterpart, Roman Golovchenko, have discussed the ongoing clinical trials of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine, the Belarusian government press service informed in a statement.

Read:|WHO in touch with Denmark over mutated strain of COVID-19 detected in minks

"In the evening of November 5, 2020, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Belarus Roman Golovchenko held a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin. The parties discussed topical issues of cooperation in trade, economic, energy, transport and logistics spheres. Also, they exchanged information on the progress of clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine and preparations for its production in the Republic of Belarus," the statement, released on Facebook, says.

Read:|Australia signs COVID-19 vaccine deals with Novavax, Pfizer

The press service of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Wednesday that Russian President Vladimir Putin had expressed support for Lukashenko's proposal to produce a vaccine against COVID-19 in Belarus, with the use of Russian technology.

In August, Russia became the first country in the world to register a vaccine against the coronavirus, dubbed Sputnik V, and developed by the Gamaleya research institute. The Sputnik V vaccine was administered to volunteers in Belarus in October, as part of ongoing trials.

ANI