Twenty-seven countries have expressed a wish to purchase the Russian coronavirus vaccine, Deputy Prime Minister Tatiana Golikova said.
Those who have voiced their intention to buy it include: Brazil, Venezuela, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, and Belarus.
She added that three industrial sites for the production of vaccines have already been chosen.
"To date, the first registered vaccine, Sputnik V has started the third stage of clinical trials, and the Russian Health Ministry, together with the Ministry of Industry and Trade and Roszdravnadzor [Federal Service for Surveillance in Healthcare], has selected three industrial sites that have the competence for industrial production of the vaccine," Golikova said at a meeting with the cabinet.
The deputy minister said that no complications have been registered in those who received the Russian coronavirus vaccine during the clinical trials.
According to Golikova, clinical trials of another Russian coronavirus vaccine, which is being developed by the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vektor, are expected to be completed in late September. Its registration is scheduled for late September-early October.
"In late September, we are planning to have the clinical trials of another Russia-manufactured vaccine by the Vektor State Research Center concluded," Golikova said during a government meeting.
On Tuesday, the country's health ministry said that the Russian Gamaleya research centre had received permission to conduct post-registration clinical trials of the Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine. The trials, involving 40,000 volunteers aged 18 years and over, will be carried out in several state-run medical institutions in Moscow.
The deputy prime minister shared the government's plans concerning further strategy in fighting the coronavirus pandemic.
"After September 20 we will be able to evaluate the effect on the situation with the epidemic and the beginning of the academic year, and the return of our citizens from vacations, and to adjust, if necessary, our further strategy regarding the development of the epidemic situation," Golikova added.
Russia officially registered its coronavirus vaccine on 11 August. Developed by the Moscow-based Gamaleya Research Institute and the Russian Defence Ministry, Sputnik V is the world's first vaccine against the deadly virus which, according to the World Health Organization, has claimed the lives of more than 814,000 people globally.
