VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Photo archives: Acting spokesperson for the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Teuku Faizasyah, at an online media briefing on Wednesday. (Handout Kemlu RI)

Indonesia is encouraging cooperation with Russia in the health sector, including in COVID-19 vaccine development and research in health technology, an official said.

“What we are encouraging now is a further meeting to discuss the technical aspects of the cooperation between the two countries,” spokesperson for the Indonesian Foreign Ministry, Teuku Faizasyah, said in an online media briefing on Thursday.

He said the health ministries of the two countries discussed cooperation on July 5, 2020. The discussion was a follow-up to a telephone conversation between Indonesian President Joko Widodo and Russian President Vladimir Putin on April 13, 2020.

However, he refused to divulge whether the cooperation would cover the COVID-19 vaccine developed by Russia.

President Putin on Tuesday (August 11, 2020) announced that Russia was the first country in the world to approve a COVID-19 vaccine after two months of human clinical trials.

However, the Russian decision to approve the use of the vaccine has worried experts.

Only 10 percent of the clinical trial for the Russian vaccine candidate has successfully been conducted. Several scientists are worried about Moscow giving priority to state prestige over knowledge and security.

The vaccine dubbed "Sputnik V" has been developed by Gamaleya Institute, and Russia plans to produce 5 million doses of the vaccine per month during the December, 2020 -January, 2021 period.

Several countries, including the Philippines and Kazakhstan, have expressed a keen interest in establishing cooperation with Russia over the vaccine.  (ANTARA)