North Macedonia will receive 8,000 vaccines against Pfizer Covid-19 from Serbia. Prime Minister Zoran Zaev announced on Monday that other vaccines are being negotiated.
Prime Minister Zaev stated :
“There was also talk about other vaccines for which they have an agreement, but which should check the clauses whether they can do so. I am very grateful and I want to convey this gratitude on my behalf and on behalf of all the Macedonian people, to the President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, the Government and the Serbian people. It is a serious act of friendship that shows that Serbia wants to share with its southern neighbor some of the vaccines it has.”
Zaev also said that Vucic has expressed the will that vaccines be a gift from the Serbian state. But Zaev said Macedonia has the funds and will pay for the vaccines itself.
In a statement to the media, Zaev stated that activities are continuing for the agreement with “Pfizer” for 800,000 vaccines, which will cover the doses for 400,000 citizens. He said talks were under way with other countries to provide vaccines until the first 5,850 doses of the vaccine arrived in February.
In a Facebook post, he described the assistance provided by Serbia as an act of solidarity and strengthening friendship. Zaev added:
“Negotiations continue over technical processes to deliver the vaccines, and health workers, the chronically ill, adults and other risk categories will be vaccinated with the first doses.”
Serbian Parliament Speaker Ivica Dacic and Serbian Interior Minister Aleksandar Vullin were vaccinated a few days ago with Russia’s SputnikV vaccine against Covid-19.
Serbia received on Saturday about 1 million doses of the Chinese Sinofarm vaccine, produced by the Chinese state-owned company of the same name.
On January 4, Serbia received another 20,000 doses of vaccines from the Pfizer company.
The government of northern Macedonia has been criticized by opposition parties in the country over the vaccination process. According to them, it is among the last countries in the region that does not have a vaccination program.
