Matovic: Producer of Sputnik V Ready to Cancel Contract with Slovakia

Matovic: Producer of Sputnik V Ready to Cancel Contract with Slovakia

Bratislava, March 4 (TASR) – The producer of the Russian Sputnik V vaccine is ready to cancel the contract for the purchase of two million doses of the vaccine as early as on Thursday, without any sanctions, in response to the threat of a government break-up in Slovakia over the issue, Slovak Prime Minister Igor Matovic (OLaNO) announced on Facebook on Thursday.

The premier claimed that he received an official offer to cancel the order on Wednesday evening. “Personally, I fully understand them, because if I were in their shoes, I too would be uncomfortable seeing that my medicine, which saves lives, is being misused in a political struggle. I’d feel all the more strange if I saw that there are 40 other countries that are asking to be supplied with the vaccine as soon as possible,” said Matovic.

With this in mind, Matovic called on OLaNO’s coalition partners to provide their stance quickly.

The governing coalition has been experiencing internal disputes for quite some time now. The tension was exacerbated when Matovic announced on Monday that Slovakia was set to purchase two million doses of Sputnik V. Freedom and Solidarity (SaS) and For the People are against using the vaccine in Slovakia if it hasn’t been registered by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The two parties on Wednesday raised the issue of overhauling the Cabinet. Following talks on Wednesday evening, the coalition We Are Family party also announced that it’s inclined towards reconstruction. All four parties concur that they want to avoid an early general election.