Venezuela will receive the first consignment of 10 million doses of Russia's Sputnik V vaccine against COVID-19 in the upcoming weeks, President Nicolas Maduro said during his speech to the nation on Tuesday.

"The Russian ambassador has just given me the good news that the first 10 million Sputnik V vaccines will come to Venezuela very soon to ensure mass vaccination of those sectors of the population who need it most," Maduro said.

The president also added that the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America (ALBA) is assessing the effectiveness of four vaccines, including the Cuban Soberana 02 vaccine against COVID-19.

In October 2020, Venezuela received Sputnik V as part of phase 3 clinical trials. In December, the Latin American country signed an agreement with Russia on the vaccine's delivery to start mass vaccination.

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