Babiš made the comment ahead of a trip to Serbia with epidemiologists and virologists to discuss the Balkan country's experience with vaccinations, including ones produced by Russia and China. Like Hungary, which Babiš visited last week for a fact-finding mission, Serbia is already administering Sputnik V.

Babiš said the country could obtain Sputnik shots and have them ready in storage before the EMA verdict, so that it would be able to start using them immediately after any approval.