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BSS-45
BANGLADESH-VACCINE-CHINA
Momen optimistic to get 1st Chinese vaccine consignment next month
DHAKA, May 25, 2021 (BSS) – Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today
expressed his optimism to get first consignment of Chinese COVID-19
vaccine from next month as Dhaka has almost completed process of
purchasing 1.5 crore doses of Sinopharm vaccines from China.
“The deal in this regard (purchasing vaccine from China) is almost
final. It will be complete very soon,” he told reporters following a
meeting with the visiting UN General Assembly President Volkan Bozkir
at the Foreign Service Academy.
Ther foreign minister said his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi assured
him to make a ‘stable supply’ of Chinese COVID-19 vaccine to
Bangladesh.
“He (Chinese foreign minister) told me China considers Bangladesh
as a friendly country and is ready to provide as many as vaccine we
need,” Momen said referring his recent telephone conversation with
Wang Yi.
The foreign minister said Dhaka has already finalized to get
required Chinese vaccine for the months of June, July and August as
Sinopharm produces vaccine after getting order.
Dr Momen said the discussion regarding purchasing vaccine from
Russia is also at the final stage.
“Our discussion over buying vaccine from Russia has been already
done,” he said, adding that currently negotiation between Dhaka and
Moscow is going on over modalities of the agreement of buying Russian
sputnik vaccine.
However, the foreign minister didn’t disclosing the exact number of
doses that Bangladesh is going to buy from Russia.
During the telephone conversation with Momen on Friday, Wang Yi, who
is also the State Councilor of China, also announced that China has
decided to provide 6 lakh more COVID-19 vaccine doses to Bangladesh as
second batch of gift.
During the conversation, Momen also requested China to take
initiative for Chinese COVID-19 vaccine co-production in Dhaka.
In reply, the Chinese foreign minister assured that he will
encourage Chinese vaccine producer to go for co-production with
Bangladeshi pharmaceuticals companies.
On May 12, China handed over first batch of five lakh doses of its
Sinopharm COVID-19 vaccine to Bangladesh as gift while Dhaka is
keeping its efforts on globally to get access to enough inoculation.
BSS/ASG/TA/MRU /1956hrs