"This process is ongoing," Dussey said, adding that Togo is counting on its own capacities in dealing with COVID-19 and has been recognized as the second best African country to successfully manage the epidemic.
"We have 58 deaths and 5,200 active cases. We put in place strict measures to control and stop the pandemic. I can assure you that today the pandemic is under control in Togo," Dussey stressed.
Togo wants to secure supplies of Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine and is already holding negotiations with the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Robert Dussey said.
Dussey is currently on a working visit to St. Petersburg, where he is set to meet with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"I want to congratulate the Russian government and Russian scientists for this accomplishment – to be the first country to discover and to present the vaccine Sputnik V. We are already in discussion with the Russian side, RDIF that manages this vaccine to see how Togo, like other states, could acquire this vaccine," Dussey said.
According to the foreign minister, Togo will need 2.5 million vaccine doses in total. While the country will be getting some shots through the COVAX mechanism for vaccine distribution, it wants to acquire Russia’s Sputnik V as well.
"Togo envisages acquiring this vaccine. We are in negotiations and we are optimistic that these negotiations will succeed because we believe that this is an excellent product and [the] Togolese population needs it," Dussey told Sputnik.
Dussey is currently on a working visit to St. Petersburg, where he is set to meet Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Sputnik V — the world's first coronavirus vaccine — was registered by the Russian Ministry of Health on 11 August. Two components are administered to a person within an interval of 21 days.
