"I want to say something else about Sputnik [V]. We have a memorandum of intent with the RDIF, which is the authorized Russian government agency for the sale of a vaccine that can be produced in Illertissen. We also stated in the memorandum that we can import it if there is a mutual will to do so. The prerequisite for this is, of course, registration [in the EU]," Holetschek said during a press conference, adding that Sputnik V is a highly effective vaccine against COVID-19.
Earlier in the day, Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Soeder said that the authorities of the German state prepared a preliminary contract with a local firm that may supply the region with doses of the Russian vaccine to the region if the European Union registers Sputnik V.
Russia's Sputnik V — the world's first coronavirus vaccine registered last August — has since been approved in 59 countries, becoming the second top vaccine in terms of approvals across the world. According to The Lancet peer-reviewed medical journal, it shows 91.6-percent efficacy against symptomatic COVID-19 cases.