Global travel to be based on Covid testing, not discrimination on vaccine: S Jaishankar

PTI, Jul 10, 2021, 10:00 AM IST

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New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said that people who are tested before and after international travel is a good enough basis but some countries have now introduced the issue of vaccination, stressing on the need to reach some understanding.

Jaishankar, addressing a joint press interaction following a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, said that he believes that the basis for travel should be testing.

“If people who are tested before for international travel and tested on arrival is a good enough basis for travel but some countries have now introduced the issue of vaccination.

“So, we will have to reach obviously some understanding… I discussed today how do we make sure that we are not discriminated against and how do we reach understandings between ourselves about the travel of our citizens to each other’s countries,” Jaishankar said.

He said that the COVID-10 challenge has actually provided an occasion for India and Russia to demonstrate the strength of their cooperation.

“We are seeing that today in the production of Sputnik vaccine and I completely agree with my Russian counterpart.

“I think we have to protect our population and help the world and the two go together that they are part of the same issue,” he said.

Lavrov, commenting on the cooperation between Russia and India in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, said that Russia is ready to discuss the certification of citizens vaccinated against COVID-19 with India, and an agreement can be reached in this sphere.

“We are ready to discuss the possibilities of coordinating our actions related to vaccinated citizens, regarding the certification of those who were vaccinated. I think that we can reach an agreement here, and it will serve as an example to other states,” he said.

Lavrov stressed that both countries are against the politicisation of vaccines and attempts to be guided by unfair competition.

“I am confident that the majority of countries share this approach,” he said.