Europe

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/: Head of the N. F. Gamaleya Federal Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology Alexander Ginzburg hopes that Russians will get full access to the novel coronavirus vaccine developed by the center in about 9-12 months.

"It is important to understand when we will be able to meet the demand of the country. I hope that it will happen within 9-12 months," he told TASS.

BRUSSELS, August 14. /TASS/: Foreign ministers of the European Union’s 27 member states have made a political decision Friday to impose individual sanctions against people "responsible for violence against peaceful protesters and the election fraud" in Belarus, the reports were confirmed by Slovak Foreign Minister Ivan Korcok.

MOSCOW, August 15. /TASS/: Volunteers taking part in the third stage of the clinical trials of the Russian COVID-19 vaccine developed by the N. F. Gamaleya Federal Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology will not be hospitalized, head of the center Alexander Ginzberg told TASS.

"Of course, the volunteers won’t be hospitalized beforehand. All of them will come and go from their homes," he said.

MINSK, August 15. /TASS/: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said during a session in Minsk on Saturday that he plans to discuss the situation in the country with his Russian colleague Vladimir Putin, as the events in the republic can affect the Union State.

VILNIUS (Reuters) - The prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Saturday called on Belarus to conduct new “free and fair” elections as protests swelled against President Alexander Lukashenko’s disputed poll victory.

A new vote should be held “in a transparent way with the participation of international observers”, the leaders said in a joint statement after meeting in Estonia.

They urged Belarus to refrain from violence and release political prisoners and detained protesters. They also called for European Union sanctions on those responsible for violence.

MOSCOW (Reuters) - About 2,000 people joined another march in the Russian far eastern city of Khabarovsk on Saturday in protest over President Vladimir Putin’s handling of a local political crisis.

Residents of Khabarovsk, around 6,110 km (3,800 miles) east of Moscow, were protesting for a sixth consecutive weekend against the detention of Sergei Furgal, the region’s popular governor.

Furgal was arrested on July 9 in connection with murder charges he denies. His supporters say the detention is politically motivated.

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s Queen Elizabeth paid tribute to the sacrifice of soldiers on the 75th anniversary of VJ Day, which marks victory over Japan and the end of World War Two, as she recalled the anguish of the war and joy of its conclusion.

Japan signalled its intention to surrender on August 15, 1945, after atom bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the United States. Japan’s emperor has expressed “deep remorse” for the country’s wartime past.

WARSAW (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo met Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki in Warsaw on Saturday where the two discussed a new defense agreement and their support for the people of Belarus.

Pompeo and Morawiecki also discussed the COVID-19 pandemic, securing 5G networks and a new bilateral agreement to cooperate in the development of Poland’s civil nuclear power program, a State Department spokeswoman said.

15 Aug 2020; MEMO: Secretary of State Mike Pompeo discussed with his Greek counterpart the “urgent need” to soothe tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, the State Department said Friday, Anadolu Agency reported.

Pompeo met with Nikos Dendias earlier in the day in Vienna, Austria during his ongoing tour of Europe.

MOSCOW, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Russian President Vladimir Putin proposed Friday holding an urgent online meeting of the heads of the five states that are permanent members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) with the participation of the leaders of Germany and Iran to discuss Iran and the Persian Gulf situation.

"Should the leaders agree in principle to have this conversation, we propose that the foreign ministries of the seven countries agree on a meeting agenda, make the necessary arrangements and schedule a video summit," Putin said in a statement.