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BSS-54
BANGLADESH-VACCINE-COPRODUCTION
Momen hopes for vaccine coproduction soon
DHAKA, June 10, 2021 (BSS) – Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen today said the government is hopeful to make a formal announcement soon on coproduction of COVID-19 vaccine here.
The authorities of vaccine manufacturing countries will visit here to see the capacity of local pharmaceuticals for COVID-19 vaccine coproduction in Bangladesh, he said.
The foreign minister made the remarks to media while handing over medicines, donated by Bangladesh Association of Pharmaceutical Industries (BAPI), to Palestine Ambassador to Bangladesh Yusuf Ramadan at the state guest house Padma in the capital.
Dr Momen said it is up to the vaccine-manufacturing companies to choose Bangladesh pharmaceutical companies for vaccine coproduction in Bangladesh.
“Hopefully, we’ll become exporter of vaccines (if coproduction starts here),” he said.
Momen also said Dhaka will send two aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force to bring 6 lakh doses of Chinese vaccine, gifted by Beijing, on June 13.
At the request of Bangladesh foreign minister Dr AK Abdul Momen On May 22, his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi announced that China has decided to provide six lakh more COVID-19 vaccine doses to Bangladesh as second batch of gift.
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.
Dhaka also urged the US to send 2 million doses of AstraZeneca vaccine immediately to vaccinate 1.5 million people here those are awaiting for getting the second dose of same vaccine.
The foreign minister is schedule to visit USA next week to join a crucial discussion over Rohingya issue as well as to attend the 5th LDC Summit at the United Nations.
Earlier, Momen said Bangladesh also wants to import five million doses of Sputnik COVID vaccine from Russia soon and the health ministry is working on it.
BSS/ASG/TA/MMA/2010HRS