Thursday, February 4 2021 13:45

ArmInfo. The COVID-19 Free Travel Program is fully operational. Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan stated this on February 4 at a meeting of the Armenian  government.

According to him, since February 1, when the program was launched,  providing for free departure of Armenian citizens to Russia and  Belarus with a negative coronavirus test, 3,900 people were able to  leave Armenia. In turn, 3400 people entered Armenia. Of the total  number of travelers, 1,423 people entered Armenia with Armenian  passports, and 1,263 passengers left with the same documents. 7  citizens were denied entry to the territory of the Russian  Federation, who submitted paper documents confirming that they did  not have COVID-19, which aroused the suspicions of Russian border  guards. The Deputy Prime Minister stressed that the application  "Traveling without COVID-19" is effective enough, there is only a  problem with the data of children in smartphones. But it too,  according to the Deputy Prime Minister, will be resolved in the near  future.

Mher Grigoryan also said that from February 15 the air communication  between Armenia and Russia will be resumed. There will be four daily  flights in one direction and another. The government will conduct  monitoring for three days in order to assess the situation and make  the necessary decisions when possible problems arise.

In turn, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan noted the importance of  opening transport links with the Russian Federation. He noted that  this fact can become a serious factor for the revitalization of the  country's economy and the restoration of tourism. The head of  government stressed that many fellow citizens have not had the  opportunity to fly to Armenia since last year to meet with their  relatives and friends. Now this problem is being solved.

It should be noted that from February 1 to March 1, Armenia, Russia  and Belarus are implementing a pilot program "Travel without  COVID-19", according to which passengers traveling from Armenia to  Russia and in the opposite direction will be able to cross the state  border in the event of a negative coronavirus test result. valid for  a maximum period of 72 hours. The program will allow you to have the  test result for Covid-19 in the form of a QR code in the mobile  application. To do this, you must take a test in one of the approved  laboratories. At present, 7 laboratories provide this service in  Armenia.

On the eve of the Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a  decision according to which Russia from February 15 on a reciprocal  basis resumes air traffic with Armenia and Azerbaijan. "It was  decided to resume from February 15, 2021 on a reciprocal basis the  international flights with Azerbaijan (Moscow- Baku, two flights a  week) and Armenia (Moscow-Yerevan, four flights a week), "the Russian  government said. In March 2020, Russia suspended all commercial  passenger flights abroad amid the coronavirus pandemic.