Hungary receives draft contract to procure Russian vaccine

Hungary has received a draft contract to procure Russia’s Sputnik V Covid-19 vaccine, Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó said on Wednesday.

Szijjártó told MTI that he had held phone talks with Mikhail Murashko, the Russian health minister, who is also the co-leader of the Hungarian-Russian inter-governmental economic mixed committee.

“Time is of the essence,” Szijjártó said, adding that Hungary was in need of a swift supply of a large quantity of a safe and effective vaccine against coronavirus. The virus is claiming around 100 lives every day and the restrictions put in place are costing the economy some 10 billion forints a day, the minister said.

Experts of Hungary’s National Institute of Pharmacy and Nutrition (OGYEI) are currently in Russia analysing the manufacturing process of the Russian vaccine, he said.

On Thursday, they are scheduled to hold talks with representatives of Russia’s health authority, he added.