icon bookmark-bicon bookmarkicon cameraicon checkicon chevron downicon chevron lefticon chevron righticon chevron upicon closeicon v-compressicon downloadicon editicon v-expandicon fbicon fileicon filtericon flag ruicon full chevron downicon full chevron lefticon full chevron righticon full chevron upicon gpicon insicon mailicon moveicon-musicicon mutedicon nomutedicon okicon v-pauseicon v-playicon searchicon shareicon sign inicon sign upicon stepbackicon stepforicon swipe downicon tagicon tagsicon tgicon trashicon twicon vkicon yticon wticon fm
2 Nov, 2020 12:40

Egypt seeks to jointly manufacture pioneering Russian-developed Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine – foreign minister Shoukry reveals

Egypt seeks to jointly manufacture pioneering Russian-developed Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine – foreign minister Shoukry reveals

Egypt’s “powerful” economy would allow it to jointly manufacture Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine, the country’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has said. An Egyptian pharmaceutical giant earlier struck a deal on the supply of Sputnik V.

“Undoubtedly, we will use our close ties to gain access to the [Russian] vaccine,” Shoukry told the Russian TASS news agency, on Monday. 

The Egyptian diplomat confirmed he had talked about the option to launch joint manufacturing with Russian Trade Minister Denis Manturov during his visit to Moscow last week.

“Egypt has a powerful private sector, manufacturing capabilities, and pharmaceutical industry. These issues will be further discussed by our health, industry and trade ministers,” Shoukry stated, adding that it was too early to give a concrete date on which the Moscow-created vaccine might arrive in Cairo.

In September, the Russian Direct Investment Fund, which funded the development of the anti-coronavirus formula, struck a deal with Pharco, Egypt’s leading pharmaceutical company, to supply the Arab country with 25 million doses of its Sputnik V vaccine.

Also on rt.com 'I believe in Putin': Football legend Maradona backs Russian president to deliver Covid-19 vaccine

On Thursday, Manturov said more than 30 countries had expressed interest in acquiring the vaccine from Russia, while India, the UAE, Venezuela, and Belarus were participating in its clinical trial.

Russia became the first nation to authorize the use of a Covid-19 vaccine in August. Sputnik V has since entered its crucial phase-three trial. The country’s second vaccine, dubbed EpiVacCorona, was registered last month.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!

Podcasts
0:00
26:13
0:00
24:57