German MP Bystron: Sputnik V is not recognized in the EU due to economic factors
Photo: Alexander Kryazhev / RIA Novosti
The Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V could be approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) if it were evaluated only on medical grounds. This was stated by a member of the Bundestag Committee on International Affairs from the “Alternative for Germany” Peter Bystron in an interview with Izvestia.
Bystron believes that the recognition of the Russian drug is being hampered by political and economic factors. According to him, EMA protects the market so that large Western pharmaceutical companies can sell their drugs without competition.
The politician added that the agency does not want to ensure the inflow of foreign currency into Russia. “If the EMA were to evaluate vaccines purely from a medical point of view, Sputnik V would have been approved in the EU a long time ago,” he said.
Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin at the annual big press conference announced the need for mutual recognition of vaccines. The head of state pointed out that victory over the COVID-19 pandemic is impossible without the recognition of vaccines by the world's leading countries.
