Indonesian Ambassador Optimistic About Authorization of Sputnik V in Country

MOSCOW, (Sputnik), Ekaterina Chukaeva - Jose Tavares, Indonesian ambassador in Russia, has expressed optimism while speaking to Sputnik that the Russian-made Sputnik V vaccine will be approved for use in Indonesia.

Since January, Indonesia has been in talks with Russia on the Sputnik V vaccine. In July, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a meeting with his Indonesian counterpart, Retno Marsudi, that Russia was ready to discuss with Jakarta the supply and production of vaccines against COVID-19.

"On the supply of the Sputnik V vaccine to Indonesia, the Indonesian FDA [National Agency of Drug and Food Control] is in the process of issuing the Emergency Use Authorization, and I am quite optimistic that Sputnik V will be applied in Indonesia", the diplomat said when asked whether Indonesia is interested in the supply and production of Sputnik V and other Russian vaccines.

Sputnik V is now approved in 67 countries with a total population of over 3.4 billion people. The vaccine efficacy was 97.6% based on an analysis of data of 3.8 million vaccinated Russians, which is higher than the data published earlier by the medical journal The Lancet (91.6%), according to RDIF and the Gamaleya Institute.

Tavares recalled that a delegation of the Indonesian FDA visited Russia in early July 2021 and "engaged intensively with the relevant institutions" in Russia.

"The discussions include the deliberation on the possibility for future joint production of vaccines and cooperation in general between pharmaceutical industries of the two countries," he said.

Cooperation between Indonesia and Russia on pharmaceutical industries has been on the agenda of both countries in various meetings, the official noted.

"The recent visit of Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to Indonesia, among others, reiterates the importance of such a cooperation. In fact, discussion on the supply and joint production of the vaccine began before the meeting of the two Foreign Ministers," he said.

In 2020, Russia and Indonesia marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.