On December 3, the joint memorandum in favor of mutual recognition of vaccination certificates between the countries was signed by the major foreign business associations in Russia, as well as the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP).

On behalf of CERBA, the memorandum was signed by Nathan Hunt, Founder of the Association and Chairman of the Moscow Board. The signing ceremony took place during the public press conference held at the Moscow premises of "Izvestiya" – one of Russia's most well-known media portals.

"This is a historic moment of the unification of so many chambers and main business associations of Russia in the person of Alexander Shokhin, the President of RSPP," noted Pavel Chinsky, General Director, Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI France Russie).

This initiative aims to remove the main obstacle that is currently restricting business representatives from cross-borders travel by appealing to respective states’ governments to recognize foreign vaccination certificates for travel purposes.

In his speech during the signing ceremony, Nathan Hunt pointed out that international trade and business suffer from current travel restrictions related to COVID-19, and the recognition of certificates of vaccinations from other countries will allow resuming cross-border business contacts. Mr. Hunt also added that mutual recognition of vaccination certificates is in the best interest of all countries, including Canada, and can also contribute to global vaccination efforts.

The final document will be delivered to the Russia-based Ambassadors of all the countries represented by chambers that signed the memorandum (Canada, Japan, the EU Member States, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States) and will be copied to the Health Ministers of those countries.

JOINT MEMORANDUM IN FAVOR OF MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF VACCINATION CERTIFICATES

The undersigned business associations and chambers have agreed on the following joint memorandum regarding the mutual recognition of vaccination certificates:

- considering that the COVID-19 pandemic and related epidemiological safety measures have had a deep and lasting impact on cross-border mobility;

- mindful of the importance of cross-border activities and travel for the efficient functioning of the global economy and in particular trade and investment flows;

- convinced that global vaccination efforts are of prime importance for reallowing and reviving economic activity including international travel;

- understanding that the registration and certification of vaccines is a complex, regulation driven, and thus inevitably time-consuming process best left to competent health authorities;

- taking note that there is currently no mutual recognition of vaccinations and vaccination certificates between Russia and some of its most important trading partners;

- fearing that without mutual recognition vaccination certificates new measures such as QR code requirements for travel might once more have a negative impact on cross-border business activity;

- certain that against the background of rising infection levels, mutual recognition represents a strong incentive to further bolster global vaccination and re-vaccination efforts;

- believing that such mutual recognition will stimulate cross-border business contacts as well as trade and investment activities between Russia and its most important economic partners;

- convinced that such stimulus would be highly beneficial at a time when economic recovery remains haphazard and fragile;

Undersigned:

Nathan Hunt, Founder of the Association and Chairman of the Moscow Board, Canada Eurasia Russia Business Association (CERBA)

Alexander Shokhin, President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (RSPP)

Tadzio Schilling, Chief Executive Officer, Association of European Businesses (AEB)

Pavel Chinsky, General Director, Franco-Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI France Russie)

Alexis Rodzianko, President, American Chamber of Commerce in Russia (AmCham Russia)

Alf Torrents, Executive Director, Russo-British Chamber of Commerce (RBCC)

Daniel Russell, President and Chief Executive Officer, U.S.-Russia Business Council (USRBC)

Michael Harms, Managing Director, Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations

Frédéric Sanchez, Chairman, MEDEF International

Tim Knoll, Executive Director, German-Russian Chamber of Commerce (AHK)

Ernesto Ferlenghi, Vice President, Confindustria Russia

Vincenzo Trani, President, Italian-Russian Chamber of Commerce

The original text of the Joint Memorandum can be found below:

English version

Russian version

Full video recording is available at (in Russia): https://bit.ly/3IPG5hd