Vietnam, Russia bolster cooperation in COVID-19 fight

Vietnamese and Russian firms operating in pharmaceuticals and medical equipment have discussed experience and technology in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnamese and Russian business representatives discuss experience and technology in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic at the seminar.

A roundtable seminar featuring prospects for economic, scientific and technical cooperation between Moscow and Hanoi was held in Moscow, Russia on November 11 on the occasion of the upcoming official visit to Russia by President Nguyen Xuan Phuc.

Upon addressing the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Russia Dang Minh Khoi hailed the important results Russia has yielded in research, development, and production of COVID-19 vaccines and drugs in recent times.

Russia has become the first country to develop the Sputnik-V vaccine against COVID-19, and is also actively supporting countries in the pandemic fight.

The two countries have been coordinating very effectively in the fight against COVID-19, with Vietnamese company VABIOTECH having successfully manufactured its first batch of the Sputnik V COVID-19 vaccine from semi-finished products, the Vietnamese diplomat emphasized.

Ambassador Dang Minh Khoi said he believes that the two sides, through the seminar, will be able to learn more about the advantages and possibilities of cooperation in the pandemic combat fight as a way of further promoting the Vietnam-Russia comprehensive strategic partnership.

At the discussion, business representatives highlighted their strengths in production, supply, and technology transfer of drugs and vaccines, medical equipment, as well as the possibility of expanding cooperation and boosting market expansion.

Binnofarm is the largest group among medical equipment manufacturers that also involve in COVID-19 vaccine production, while Himrar, Biotex, Pronomed are producers of  Avifavir, Areplivir and rapid test kits for COVID-19.

Duong Hoang Minh, Vietnamese Trade Counselor in Russia highly appreciated the prospect and efficiency of cooperation between both nations' enterprises in manufacturing vaccines and drugs for COVID-19 treatment, which is a very important field especially when  the whole world are facing this dangerous disease.

“Vietnam and Russia boast great potential for cooperation in the production and supply of vaccines and drugs for COVID-19 treatment. Vietnam has the advantage of producing these drugs in order to supply other countries in Southeast Asia, even with the nations that Vietnam has a free trade agreement with," Minh said.

According to Duong Hoang Minh, the past ten months of the year saw import-export turnover between Vietnam and Russia reach US$ 4.5 billion, up 12% over the same period last year.

Notably, pharmaceutical exports from Russia to Vietnam grew by 3.5 times, reaching a figure of US$39 million that indicate strong growth.

Hopefully, pharmaceuticals will be a new driving force for trade growth between Vietnam and Russia in the remaining months of the years, and years to come, Minh added.

VOV