OREANDA-NEWS. Certain EU countries are considering the possibility of starting negotiations with manufacturers of the Russian vaccine against the Sputnik V coronavirus, said an EU official in talks with vaccine manufacturers.

Requests to start negotiations with Russian vaccine manufacturers came from four European countries, a diplomatic source told Reuters.

Hungary and Slovakia have already bought a Russian drug from the EU countries, the Czech Republic has expressed interest in it. Italy is exploring the possibility of starting production of Sputnik V at its largest bioreactor, ReiThera, near Rome.

The European Medical Agency began testing the Russian vaccine on March 4. A source familiar with the process said a decision on its final approval could be made in May.

Meanwhile, about 300 military attaches from 50 countries, as well as their family members, were vaccinated against the coronavirus with the Russian Sputnik V vaccine. This was stated by the head of the Main Directorate of International Military Cooperation of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation, Alexander Kshimovsky.

The Russian vaccine against coronavirus "Sputnik V" is in the first position in terms of quality among 4-6 vaccines against COVID-19 that have been released in mass circulation in the world, said the head of the Gamaleya Center, Alexander Gintsburg.