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| Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar's armed forces, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing attends the IX Moscow conference on international security in Moscow, Russia June 23, 2021. (Photo by Alexander Zemlianichenko/Reuters) |
[Asia News = Reporter Reakkana] Myanmar's military ruler said on Friday (Jul 9) Russia had agreed to supply two million doses of coronavirus vaccine from this month, as the Southeast Asian country reported another record in COVID-19 cases and deaths, Reuters reported.
Min Aung Hlaing, who led a Feb 1 coup against Aung San Suu Kyi's elected government, said the virus was spreading fast in Myanmar and that senior Russian defence officials had told him help with vaccines was on the way. "I told them that I want two million and they will give," he said in remarks carried by army-owned Myawaddy television. Myanmar reported 4,320 cases on Friday, a record for a second successive day, and 63 deaths. Myanmar is in the midst of its most serious wave of infections to date, with efforts to manage the outbreak hampered by nationwide chaos in the wake of the military's coup.
Russia is among the few countries that have openly embraced the military government, which has been condemned globally over the coup and the deadly crackdown on pro-democracy groups. Min Aung Hlaing said Myanmar was keen to make its own COVID-19 vaccines and Russia wanted to cooperate and send a delegation to inspect its production plant during this month.
