MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Presidents of Russia, Argentina discuss COVID-19 on the phone

The conversation spanned for around 30 minutes

Argentine President Alberto Fernández Thursday held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin to discuss the fight against COVID-19 among other bilateral issues, it was reported.

The conversation spanned for 30 minutes, during which the two leaders were delivering on a mutual promise from the G20 Summit last month in Rome.

“The parties confirmed the mutual intention to strengthen the Russian-Argentine strategic partnership and practical cooperation in various fields and paid special attention to issues of interaction in the fight against the spread of the coronavirus,” a press statement said.

Both leaders also agreed to remain in touch and keep the matter under constant review.

Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 has been widely used in Argentina and it is now produced locally by Laboratorios Richmond. Argentina was the first country in Latin America to both authorize the use of Sputnik V and to start its production. Vaccination against the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus with the Russian drug began on December 29, 2020.

Fernández spoke from the Olivos presidential residence, where he was joined by Foreign Minister Santiago Cafiero. According to Buenos Aires, “the two leaders reiterated their willingness to meet in person as soon as the epidemiological situation allows it” and Fernández valued “the cooperation between both nations when facing” the coronavirus pandemic.

“The mutual intention to strengthen Russian-Argentine strategic cooperation and practical cooperation in various fields was confirmed,” the Kremlin's official website signaled.

Putin and Fernández had shared a videoconference on the occasion of the start of production in Argentina of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V. Also while in Rome, Cafiero and his Russian colleague Sergey Lavrov had discussed vaccination in Argentina with Sputnik V.