After the controversy over Nicolini's letter, the Russian Fund and the Government made a joint statement

07/23/2021 3:46 PM

• Clarín.com

• Society

Updated 07/23/2021 4:16 PM

The letter that the presidential adviser Cecilia Nicolini sent to the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) demanding the arrival of doses of the second component of Sputnik V against the coronavirus triggered a controversy that both governments tried to defuse this Friday with a

joint statement.

The text was agreed upon during a meeting between officials of the Ministry of Health led by Carla Vizzotti and a team from the Russian Fund.

In the statement they assure that they reaffirmed the "joint work to guarantee and accelerate the supply of the Sputnik V vaccine to Argentina" and argue that they will solve

"the problems in a positive way."

"Our main objective and commitment is to work to minimize the impact of the pandemic by vaccinating as many people as possible as soon as possible, and we will continue to do our best to achieve it," the text closes.

The representative of the Russian Fund celebrated that joint statement and the agreement that, as specified, there are "no plans to review or terminate the contract."

"The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) welcomes the statement from the Argentine Ministry of Health communicating that cooperation under the existing contract on the supply of Sputnik V vaccine to Argentina continues and there are no plans to review or terminate the contract, "he stressed.

The joint statement is an attempt to defuse the controversy that arose after the letter that Cecilia Nicolini sent to the Russian Fund was made public, demanding the shipment of doses of the second component and threatening to cancel the contract.

In that letter, Nicolini, who was key in the negotiations to buy the vaccines developed by the Gamaleya Institute, reported a "critical" situation due to the impossibility of completing the vaccination schedules.

However, in Russia they assured that they had not read that email and found out from the media.

In fact, sources in the health area who are aware of the negotiations between Argentina and Russia for vaccines assured

Clarín

that in Moscow they did not take into account Nicolini's request, and that the shipment of vaccines that arrived a few days later - which includes some doses of the second component - it was remitted only when the Russian authorities considered it appropriate to do so.

The joint statement after the controversy

After a virtual meeting between the Ministry of Health of the Nation and the team of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) that took place today, we reaffirm our joint work to guarantee and accelerate the supply of the Sputnik V vaccine to Argentina.

We trust that we will solve all problems in a positive way and that we will continue with the commitment we have made.

In addition, as a result of our commitment, we were able to boost local production and we already have almost two million doses of both components approved or in the approval process for their prompt distribution.

Production in the country makes the Argentine pharmaceutical industry a regional leader, capable of providing high-quality drugs and generating employment.

Our main objective and commitment is to work to minimize the impact of the pandemic by vaccinating as many people as possible as soon as possible, and we will continue to do our best to achieve this.

Look also

Russia assures that it will comply with the delivery of vaccines to Argentina, but that the priority is to supply its country

Due to the lack of the second component of Sputnik V, Cobos asks for a new scheme with another vaccine for those who have a dose