Mongolia received the first 10 thousand doses of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine on 27 February, 2021. This came after long negotiations between the two countries, which began in October, 2020. The vaccine was brought by a cargo charter flight from Seoul-Ulaanbaatar; the next batch of 10 thousand doses of Sputnik V vaccine is planned to arrive next week. Currently, Ulaanbaatar is holding talks with Moscow to import 200-250 thousand doses of Sputnik-5 vaccines per month.

In this connection, discussions about the production, approval and registration of Sputnik-5 vaccines were held on 4 March at the Representative Office of Rossotrudnichestvo in Mongolia. The meeting was attended by Mongolian doctors, scientists, journalists from both countries, delegates from the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, Mongol Emimpex Concern and the Intermed Hospital.

Sputnik-5 is currently produced in several Russian biotechnological and pharmaceutical companies such as Binnopharm, Pharmsintez, R-Pharm, BIOCAD and Generium after being registered as the world’s first vaccine against Covid-19 in Russia on 11 August. Mongolia becomes the 23^rd country to approve the Sputnik V vaccine for emergency use.

Rossotrudnichestvo is a Russian Federal Agency under the aegis of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Set up by Dmitry Medvedev in 2008, it has the full-title of the ‘Federal Agency for the Commonwealth of Independent States’ Affairs, Compatriots Living Abroad, and International Humanitarian Cooperation.’

It can be noted, that these negotiations come at a time, when there is growing evidence for the uncontrolled spread of coronavirus in the Mongolian capital.