Hanoi, May 12 (VNA) – Vietnam has reached mutual recognition for COVID-19 vaccination certificates, called “vaccine passports”, with 20 countries so far, said Deputy Spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Doan Khac Viet.

Addressing the ministry’s routine press conference on May 12, he said Vietnam has reached agreements with Japan, the US, the UK, Australia, India, Belarus, Cambodia, the Philippines, Malaysia, the Maldives, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Egypt, Turkey, Singapore, Saint Lucia, the Republic of Korea, Iran, Palestine and the Dominican Republic.

On May 11, the European Commission decided to recognise Vietnam’s e-vaccine passport. Accordingly, the Vietnamese passport will be recognised by 27 EU member countries, and its QR code will also be certified and checked in the territories of 39 partners of the EU’s e-vaccine passport system, he noted.

As a result, Vietnam’s vaccine passport can now be used in 81 countries and territories, the spokesman said, attributing this achievement to coordination among the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Information and Communications to negotiate with partner countries./.