Russia selects Sri Lanka & 12 countries for resuming international flights

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The Russian authorities have made up a list of 13 countries including Sri Lanka that Russia can resume flights to at the first stage of the resumption of international flights.

The list of countries that meet epidemiological safety requirements include the UK, Hungary, Germany, Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Finland, Vietnam, China, Mongolia, Sri Lanka.

On Thursday, Russian consumer safety watchdog Rospotrebnadzor sent the list to the Transport Ministry of and the Federal Air Transport Agency. This is according to the watchdog’s letter that is available to TASS.

Earlier on Thursday it was reported that the operational headquarters for preventing the spread of coronavirus in Russia supported the proposal of the Transport Ministry, the Federal Air Transport Agency and Aeroflot to resume international air traffic in two stages.

"It is possible to consider these countries as candidates for resuming flights at the first stage," the letter says.

The letter also indicates that "Rospotrebnadzor assessed the epidemiological situation in countries in accordance with the criteria" established by the service earlier.

Earlier Thursday, TASS, citing the minutes of the headquarters meeting, reported that the operation staff agreed with the consumer safety watchdog on the approach to assessing the epidemiological situation in foreign states when deciding to resume air communication with them. The watchdog proposed considering such criteria as "the rate of increase in the incidence of a new coronavirus infection over the past 14 days and the prevalence rate of this infection, as well as a possible additional criterion - the incidence rate of a new coronavirus infection over the past 14 days per 100,000 people)."

Since March 27, Russia completely closed its regular and charter international air service, carriers and conducted only special flights for the return of Russians from abroad.