BRUSSELS (Sputnik) - The European Union is eyeing the inclusion of Switzerland in its system of COVID-19 certificates, EU Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders told the European Parliament on Wednesday.
"We are also willing to work with interested partners around the world that wish to connect their COVID-19 certificates to the EU system… The first outer country to be connected will be Switzerland", Reynders said.
The commissioner recalled that the European Economic Area (EEA) countries, such as Norway, which is not an EU member, already take part in the EU system of COVID-19 certificates. Switzerland is neither a member of the EU nor the EEA.
The legislation on digital COVID-19 certificates went into effect in the EU on 1 July, while all its members connected to the system. The document is issued in both paper and digital forms for people who underwent the full inoculation, have a negative PCR-test, or recovered from the disease and have antibodies. The certificate has QR-code and can be used via a mobile phone. It is designed for travels inside the EU zone. The certificate is designed for travels inside the EU zone.
VIENTIANE (Sputnik) - Laos is deeply grateful to Russia for its help in combating the spread of coronavirus infection (COVID-19), Laotian Foreign Minister Saleumxay Kommasith said Wednesday in Vientiane at a joint press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
"All countries of the world, including Laos, have faced the outbreak of COVID-19. In this context, I want to express my deep gratitude of the Lao people and the government of Laos for the continued support from Russia: for the provision of medical equipment and medicines, including vaccines against coronavirus infection, necessary for us to contain the COVID-19 pandemic in our country", Kommasith said.
