Hyderabad: When the second group Sputnik V landed in Hyderabad, Telangana, on Sunday, the Russian ambassador to India, Nikolay Kudashev, waged the Russian-Indian struggle against COVID-19, as an example of the special and privileged strategic partnership and an effective model of international antipandemic cooperation.
“We are very pleased to see that the Russian-Indian joint struggle against the COVID-19″, which is one of the most important parts of our bilateral cooperation these days, has been on track and moving forward,” the Russian envoy told ANI.
Vaccinations with Sputnik V in Hyderabad have begun
Sputnik V became the first foreign-made vaccine used in India, contributing to the world’s largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign. Vaccinations with Sputnik V in Hyderabad began on Friday, followed by the arrival of the first group of vaccine in India on May 1, 2021.
Ambassador Kudashev said life-saving humanitarian aid provided by the Russian side last month was being used successfully to help Indians overcome the effects of the disease.
“It is indeed a brilliant example of the special and privileged strategic partnership and an effective model of international anti-pandemic cooperation that knows no unnecessary obstacles,” he said.
Kudashev called the delivery of the second batch of Sputnik V vaccine ‘very timely’ following the recent launch of the Russian vaccine in the Indian vaccination campaign.
‘The effectiveness of Sputnik V is well known in the world. Back in Russia, it has been used successfully to vaccinate citizens since the second half of 2020. Russian specialists have stated that it is also effective against the new strains of COVID-19, “he said.
Production capacity
On the issue of production capacity, the Russian envoy added: ‘We expect production in India to be gradually increased by 850 million doses per year. We look forward to further expanding our bilateral and multilateral cooperation with India to stop the pandemic. “
He also revealed that there are plans to introduce a single-dose vaccine called Sputnik Lite in India soon.
Sputnik V was approved for use in India on 12 April 2021 and granted an emergency use authorization. India is the leading production center for Sputnik V.
Source: The Siasat Daily