The President of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, today thanked his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, for providing the first 100,000 doses of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine, as reported by the Kremlin.
The two leaders had a telephone conversation this Friday, in which ‘They have paid a lot of attention to cooperation in the fight against coronavirus’the Russian presidency said in a press release.
Venezuela began the immunization campaign of health workers against Covid-19 on Thursday after receiving the first batch of the Russian remedy last Saturday. a small fraction of the ten million doses agreed with Russia.
The Venezuelan president explained that later the “social” personnel who “protect” the people on the street, the security forces and the high government authorities, including the delegates elected on December 6, will be immunized. 92% of the ruling party, in some legislators branded as fraud by the opposition sector led by Juan Guaidó.
Last Wednesday, Maduro praised Sputnik V, whom he described in a press conference broadcast by the Miraflores Palace as “the most advanced vaccine” and the “safest in the world”, and confirmed that he would vaccinate himself with his wife, Cilia Flores, as soon as “the moment comes.”
The Presidents of Russia and Venezuela also discussed “in a constructive and friendly manner” the current issues of relations between the two countries, described as “strategic partnership”.
Maduro informed Putin, one of his main allies, about the situation in Venezuela “in the context of external pressure” carried on the Caribbean nation.
“The President of Russia expressed support for the Venezuelan authorities in their attempt to strengthen the country’s sovereignty,” noted the Kremlin.
Both sides affirmed the “mutual willingness” to expand mutually beneficial relationships in different industries.
Russia is one of President Maduro’s greatest allies, whom he publicly supports despite international rejection, which does not recognize the legitimacy of his mandate.
The Maduro administration often refers to Russia, which supplies it with weapons, technology and other resources, as a “strategic ally” of its multilateral policies.