05/04/2021 10:58 PM
Clarín.com
Politics
Updated 05/04/2021 10:58 PM
Negotiations between the Government, China and private laboratories are advancing towards a possible agreement for the
production of the Sinopharm vaccine in Argentina
, in alliance with the facilities of businessman Hugo Sigman, a key player in the latest official movements in his plans to expand the range of access to doses against the coronavirus.
From its Twitter account, the
Chinese Embassy
in Argentina confirmed the agreement on Tuesday.
"The pharmaceutical companies of both countries will immediately carry out consultations to start production as soon as possible," they quoted in the voice of Zou Xiaoli, Chinese diplomatic authority in the country.
However,
from the Argentine leg, there are still buts
.
Strictly speaking, Ambassador Xiaoli's statements emerged after his meeting this Monday with the Minister of Health of the Nation, Carla Vizzotti.
They were, perhaps, a gesture of predisposition, more than a concretion.
From Sigman's environment - given the antecedents - they are more cautious.
"We are still in talks. We still
need to know the transfer of technology
to know if Sinergium is in a position to produce it and only then could we have certain dates," explain spokespersons for the Argentine laboratory.
Sigman's company has already completed production of the flu vaccine for this year's campaign, so they say "there would be capacity in the plant" to eventually produce Sinopharm's drug.
But they do not show urgency in announcing what the Chinese predict.
"There have been two meetings so far, but
rather
formal
", they explain and add: "We are
missing the technical talk
to know whether or not we can" specify the starting point to produce.
After the meeting with @carlavizzotti, Ambassador #ZouXiaoli affirmed that agreements were reached for the production of #Sinopharm vaccines in Argentina.
The pharmaceutical companies of both countries will immediately carry out consultations to start production as soon as possible.
https://t.co/z6YwceX32f
- Chinese Embassy in Argentina (@ChinaEmbArg) May 4, 2021
For their part, national government sources informed Clarín that it is an
agreement between private parties
: "It is the same case as Richmond", they compare the attempts of that other local actor with the Russian Sputnik V.
"If the laboratory that produces Sinopharm plus Sinergium or some other continues to advance ... it
would be very good news,
" they accept at the
Casa Rosada.
After cardboard they gave details of the tripartite meeting on Monday, one of the "protocols" that qualify from the Sigman environment.
"The meeting was very good between the people of Sinopharm and Sinergium. It could advance in a short term that would be
at least two months
, but we take it with caution as everything that happened during the pandemic," they defined.
And they took the Chinese announcement as a good omen.
Vizzotti and the presidential advisor
Cecilia Nicolini
had held virtual meetings with authorities and businessmen from China and Israel on Monday to formally begin talks on the possible Argentine participation in the chain of production of vaccines against the coronavirus.
According to the Government, the first virtual meeting was attended by both officials, the Chinese ambassador to Argentina, Zou Xiaoli;
his Argentine counterpart in China,
Sabino Vaca Narvaja
;
Sinopharm executives from both China and Argentina, and representatives from
Sinergium Biotech.
After that meeting, Vizzotti spoke of
"the goodwill"
of both governments and private sector partners, and highlighted the "strategic relevance" that our country has for "the possibility of collaborating and being part of the research and
chain of production
of vaccines that are used in Argentina and even in Latin America in the medium and long term ”.
The technical details remain.
DS
Look also
The Government offered the United Kingdom to manufacture the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine in Argentina
Coronavirus in Argentina: the Government negotiates with China and Israel to participate in the production of vaccines