COVID-19 vaccines sent by Turkey arrive in Sarajevo

SARAJEVO, Bosnia and Herzegovina

Some 30,000 doses of the Chinese vaccine Sinovac sent by Turkey arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday to help the country fight the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The coronavirus vaccines, promised by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan during Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidential Council members' visit to the capital Ankara on March 16, were delivered to the International Sarajevo Airport in the capital Sarajevo by an ambulance plane.

Speaking at a news conference at the airport, Selmo Cikotic, the security minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina, said Turkey showed that it is ready to support Sarajevo as usual, thanking President Erdogan and the people of Turkey.

Pointing out that every support is important in these days when the country’s health system is going through difficult times, Bosko Tomic, the advisor to the chairman of Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidential Council, said: "It is very valuable to save even one life from the 30,000 doses of vaccines sent. I thank Turkey for the great support it provides."

Ozgur Sahin, the first counselor at Turkey's Embassy to Sarajevo, also said that on the instructions of President Erdogan, Bosnia and Herzegovina authorities were immediately contacted and Turkey will continue to support the country in its fight against the pandemic.

Bosnia and Herzegovina has so far reported 162,032 cases and 6,220 fatalities from the virus.

On March 25, the country, which ordered 1.2 million doses of vaccines under the COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access Program (COVAX), received 23,400 doses of the BioNTech-Pfizer vaccine and 26,400 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine.

* Writing by Seda Sevencan in Istanbul.