International travel should be based on testing than vaccination: India

Indian minister for external affairs S Jaishankar in Moscow on Friday urged the countries to opt negative test results as the criterion for allowing travelers to enter to those country.

After a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Moscow the minister said “if people who are tested before travel and tested on arrival, it is a good enough basis for travel”. Jaishankar made this suggestion as most the countries prefer vaccination certificates to enter their countries.

“But some countries have now introduced the issue of vaccination. So we will have to reach some understanding,” the minister added.

India had earlier requested EU member states to individually consider extending similar exemption to those people who have taken Covid-19 vaccines in India i.e. Covishield and Covaxin, and accept the vaccination certificate issued through the CoWin portal, a Times of India report said.

Jaishankar also thanked Russia for the support and aid when India was battling a deadly second wave in April and May this year.

“India has become a partner of Russia in the production and use of the Sputnik V vaccine and we believe that this is not only good for the two of us but it has positive implications for the rest of the world,” Jaishankar said.