THE DUTERTE administration is eyeing to purchase at least 20 million doses of the Russian Covid-19 vaccine, Gamaleya Sputnik V, following a recent phone conversation between the Filipino leader and President Vladimir Putin.
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| Sputnik V (Kirill Kukhmar/TASS) |
Both Duterte and Putin have agreed for a greater collaboration to combat the Covid-19 pandemic.
During the 30-minute talk, Duterte and Putin reaffirmed their strong commitments to further enhance cooperation to defeat the pandemic. They also discussed both global and regional landscapes, noting that vaccines such as Sputnik V must be made available to countries needing it, and they stressed the importance of ramping up global vaccine production and supply.
Duterte expressed his gratitude to Putin for Russia’s commitment in bolstering cooperation in various areas including combating pandemic. “The Philippines eyes to procure 20 million doses of Sputnik V from Russia,” according to Manila.
Aside from tackling the present health crisis, the two leaders also noted the steady progress in defense and security cooperation between the two countries fostered by regular exchanges between their militaries, vowing to sustain the momentum gained over the last five years.
“President Putin highlighted the trajectory of Russia-Philippines relations and emphasized the many opportunities for greater cooperation in the field of trade and investments, agriculture and energy development even as both countries work on further enhancing political-security cooperation,” the Palace statement said.
Duterte reiterated his invitation for Putin to visit the Philippines as soon as circumstances allow, which the Russian leader welcomed.
The Food and Drug Administration has approved Sputnik V for emergency use, as the country struggles with a surge in infections. The two-dose vaccine has been developed by Russia-based Gamaleya Institute. Interim data indicated that the Russian vaccine had shown an efficacy of 91.6% in people aged 18 years and above. (With additional reporting from Rhoderick Benez.)
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