Zakharov: Lavrov's schedule did not allow him to take part in the meeting of ministers on COVID-19 
Russia will not be able to take part in the virtual conference on the problem of combating the coronavirus pandemic, which takes place on November 10. This was stated by the official representative of the Foreign Ministry Maria Zakharova, whose words are quoted on the website of the Russian department.
A meeting of foreign ministers on this issue was convened by the United States. However, Russia does not have information about the program and participants of the conference, Zakharova noted. She clarified that Moscow received the invitation at the end of October, when the schedule of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, Sergei Lavrov, had already been drawn up. “Since the American side announced that it was not ready to include other persons other than foreign ministers in the number of participants, it was not possible to send another representative of the Russian side,” explained the representative of the department.
At the same time, Zakharova noted, that Russia is actively preparing for the special session of the World Health Assembly in Geneva, scheduled for November 29-December 1. According to her, the Russian authorities believe that it is on this “main international platform on global health issues that the issues of combating the current pandemic and future challenges to humanity in the field of health emergencies should be resolved.”
Earlier, Lavrov said that Russian vaccines against COVID-19 should be included in the list of drugs that the World Health Organization (WHO) can recommend for use in emergency situations.