Russia to mull allowing Lebanon to produce Sputnik V vaccine: envoy

BEIRUT - Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov said on Saturday that Russia may explore the possibility of allowing Lebanon to produce the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, the National News Agency reported.

"We are ready to help Lebanon and its people in all fields, including the fight against COVID-19 ... there will be communication with the relevant companies to discuss the possibility of manufacturing Russia's Sputnik V vaccine in Lebanon," Rudakov said.

The ambassador's remarks came during his visit on Saturday with Lebanese Caretaker Industry Minister Imad Hoballah to Arwan Pharmaceutical Industries, an advanced biotech manufacturing facility, in the town of Jadra in Mount Lebanon, to check the company's methods of manufacturing medicines.

Hoballah hoped that the visit would open the way to discussions to produce the Russian vaccine in Lebanon with help from Moscow.

Lebanon has received on Saturday the second batch of Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines and expects to receive more shipments in the coming period.

The country's number of COVID-19 infections reached 353,371 so far while the death toll from the virus is 4,297.