The Russian Orthodox Church has assisted in the delivery of the Russian vaccine Sputnik V to Beirut, Lebanon, as humanitarian aid to citizens of the country, the press service of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations (DECR) reported Friday.
"With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia and the assistance of the Moscow Patriarchate's Department for External Church Relations, a batch of the Russian Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine was delivered to Lebanon," the report said.
Containers with the drug were immediately delivered from the airport to the vaccination center of Balamand University. At the vaccine handover ceremony attended by representatives of the Russian and Antiochian Orthodox Churches, diplomats and government officials, university President Elias Varrak thanked "for receiving the vaccine, which meets medical and international standards," and said that "vaccination at the medical center will be conducted systematically in full compliance with existing regulations."
Russian Ambassador to Lebanon Alexander Rudakov also noted the importance of such assistance to the Middle Eastern country. "This is evidence of continued cooperation between the Russian and Antiochian Orthodox Churches both in Lebanon and Syria - cooperation that is based on mutual respect," Rudakov, whose words are quoted in the report, said.
Members of Lebanon's Russian-speaking Orthodox community will also be able to receive Sputnik V vaccinations at the vaccination center at Balamand University.
In mid-June, Archbishop Leonid (Gorbachev) of Vladikavkaz and Allan, deputy chairman of the DECR, told TASS that the Russian Orthodox Church had arranged the supply of the Sputnik V vaccine for victims of the Beirut port explosion. In early June, Archbishop Leonid visited Lebanon, where he met with Patriarch John X of Antioch and All the East, representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church in Beirut, non-governmental organizations and the Russian Embassy in Lebanon. According to the archbishop, the request to supply the Russian vaccine to prevent COVID-19 was made by the prior of the Antiochian Orthodox Church (independent orthodox church with jurisdiction over a number of countries in the Middle East as well as Arab parishes in Europe, North and South America and Australia - TASS).
GSV "Russia - Islamic World"
Photo: EPA / TASS
Based on materials from TASS