Russia, Egypt Have Good Prerequisites For Contacts On Sputnik V Deliveries - Lavrov

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 12th April, 2021) Egypt's authorization of Russia's COVID-19 vaccine Sputnik V has created good prerequisites for more active contacts on its possible deliveries to the Arab republic, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told the Al-Ahram newspaper.

In February, Egypt's drug authority approved the emergency use of Sputnik V. The Russian Embassy in Cairo then said that it expects to see the Russian vaccine produced in Egypt.

"The authorization of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in Egypt this February created good conditions for the relevant agencies of the two countries to intensify contacts on possible deliveries of this drug to the Arab Republic of Egypt," Lavrov said in an interview ahead of his visit to Egypt.

Commending close political dialogue between Moscow and Cairo, the minister also touched upon prospects for trade and economic cooperation.

"Unfortunately, the coronavirus pandemic has had a negative impact on the dynamics of trade. In 2020, Russian-Egyptian trade dropped from $6.25 billion to $4.54 billion, compared to 2019," the minister continued.

At the same time, he noted, the two countries keep implementing a number of large-scale joint projects, including the construction of the El Dabaa nuclear power plant, the creation of a Russian industrial zone in the Suez Canal, and shipments of railroad cars to Egypt.

A number of important events are planned for 2021 in both countries as part of the cross-year of humanitarian cooperation, the top Russian diplomat added.