U.S. has no projects at Almaty biological laboratory - Kazakh FM

NUR-SULTAN. March 10 (Interfax) - A reference laboratory built in Almaty with the U.S. funding has been handed over to the Kazakh government, and U.S. researchers have no projects there, Kazakh Foreign Minister Mukhtar Tleuberdi said.

"The laboratory [reference laboratory in Almaty] is fully controlled by the Kazakh government, and Kazakhstan is conducting its own research at this lab. Scientists from the United States or third countries do not perform any research projects there," Tleuberdi told reporters on the sidelines of a government meeting on Thursday.

The laboratory was built with the help of a grant, and the United States provided the funding and equipment, he said.

"As you know, our coronavirus vaccine, QazVac, was developed thanks to the existence of this laboratory," Tleuberdi said.