Iran, Russia discuss producing COVID-19 vaccine

Al-Monitor Staff

Sep 25, 2020

A nurse prepares to inoculate volunteer Ilya Dubrovin, 36, with Russia's new coronavirus vaccine in a post-registration trials at a clinic in Moscow on September 10, 2020. - Russia announced last month that its vaccine, named "Sputnik V" after the Soviet-era satellite that was the first launched into space in 1957, had already received approval. The vaccine was developed by the Gamaleya research institute in Moscow in coordination with the Russian defence ministry. (Photo by Natalia KOLESNIKOVA / AFP) (Phot — A nurse prepares to inoculate a volunteer with Russia's new coronavirus vaccine in a post-registration trials at a clinic in Moscow on Sept. 10, 2020. — NATALIA KOLESNIKOVA/AFP via Getty Images

Iran will join Russia's efforts to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, Russian news agencies quoted the country’s Iranian ambassador as saying.

The Russian Direct Investment Fund, the country’s sovereign wealth fund, recently inked a deal with India to produce 300 million doses of its “Sputnik V” vaccine and it appears Iran will be among the next countries to strike a similar deal.

Russian state-owned news outlets reported that Iran’s ambassador to Moscow, Kazem Jalali, discussed manufacturing the vaccine with fund head Kirill Dmitriev.

“Our officials have held several rounds of consultations and we announced that we will cooperate," Jalali said on Friday, per Reuters. “That includes joint production with Russia. Iran has great potential to produce the vaccine."

Iran, Russia discuss producing COVID-19 vaccine

Russia’s sovereign wealth fund has been in talks over manufacturing the vaccine with Iran and a number of other countries.

SUBSCRIBER EXCLUSIVE

Continue reading this exclusive analysis

Original reporting and analysis unavailable elsewhere. Subscribe to AL-MONITOR to read this story and access everything we publish

Read By