Uzbekistan and Russia have agreed to launch the production of Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine in Uzbekistan. The Uzbek authorities selected a production site, RIA Novosti said with reference to the Russian Minister of Health Mikhail Murashko, who is visiting Tashkent on a working visit.

On Friday, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev hosted Mikhail Murashko and discussed the implementation of health sector projects, including the development of telemedicine.

“We agreed on the localization of production of Sputnik V (in Uzbekistan - ed.) As part of the instructions of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin and the President of Uzbekistan,” RIA Novosti quoted Murashko as saying.

In an interview with Uzbekistan 24, the Russian Minister of Health spoke about the joint implementation of projects in completely different areas, including ambulance service and pediatrics.

“Our specialists cooperated during the pandemics in Uzbekistan. This is the opening of a branch of the Pirogov Moscow University in Tashkent. This is also the preparation for Sputnik V production project in Uzbekistan,” he said.

Mikhail Murashko called the President Shavkat Mirziyoyev “a unique person”. “He is seeing that we are moving fast, he said: 'not fast enough.' We absolutely support this,” the Russian minister said.

Uzbekistan received the first batch of Sputnik V vaccines on April 23, and the second on April 27.

The Prime Minister of Uzbekistan Abdulla Aripov, at a meeting with his Russian counterpart Mikhail Mishustin in Kazan, asked Moscow to increase the supply of Sputnik V and consider the possibility of its production in the country.