Russian vaccines aid Turkmenistan in successful fight against pandemic, president says

ASHGABAT, October 2. /TASS/. The use of Russian vaccines against coronavirus in Turkmenistan allows the Central Asian republic to successfully fight the pandemic, Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov said in an exclusive interview with TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail Gusman. "Turkmenistan became one of the first countries worldwide to officially approve the use of the Russian Sputnik V and EpiVacCorona vaccines on its territory. And in many ways this is what allowed us to successfully counteract the pandemic of the coronavirus infection," he said. The Turkmen president noted that the interaction of the two countries in fighting the pandemic acquired a special significance. "Since the very beginning of the pandemic, on a short notice, effective bilateral mechanisms have been established between Turkmenistan and Russia along the lines of research and medical communities, appropriate ministries and agencies. It won’t be an exaggeration to say that in these complex conditions our countries demonstrated excellent examples of genuine solidarity, mutual aid and support, effective joining of efforts," he said. "And, stressing precisely this nature of cooperation, I spotlight Russia’s special role with good reason and express gratitude to its leadership," the president added. He said that the inoculation drive in Turkmenia is proceeding on schedule and in accordance with needs, encompassing the entire country. According to the president, the healthcare system and sanitary services are functioning in a coordinated way undertaking all the necessary preventive measures. At the same time he noted that there are "still certain restrictions on entering Turkmenistan, in particular, with air service to other countries." "We are closely monitoring the situation in the world, in neighboring countries, and will act accordingly. In general, I can say that Turkmenistan managed to effectively build defense mechanisms against this dangerous infectious disease," the president added. According to data published by the WHO, Turkmenistan has not documented a single case of the coronavirus infection. Read more