Need To Focus On Vaccination Certificates For Foreign Travel: S Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed hope that World Health Organisation could approve Bharat Biotech's Covaxin by September.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar suggested on Thursday that going forward some kind of understanding would have to be developed among nations over COVID-19 vaccination certificates rather than on particular vaccines for foreign travel, but acknowledged it would be a challenge as some countries will push the viewpoint that their vaccines are a must. Mr Jaishankar also expressed hope that an indication about the World Health Organisation's approval to Bharat Biotech's Covaxin is likely by September. In his remarks at a plenary session of the CII Annual Meeting, Mr Jaishankar asserted that the world stood by India during the second wave of Covid, especially in terms of oxygen supply and medicines as the country had helped others in the first wave of the pandemic. Asked about the need for global vaccine passports and problems being faced by Indians in foreign travel, he said a lot of this travel impediment is speculation and not fact based.