Johnson Reportedly Wants to Allow Those Vaccinated With Russian, Chinese Shots to COP26

MOSCOW (Sputnik) – UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is planning to allow officials and leaders immunized with Russian and Chinese coronavirus vaccines to attend the 26th Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) without quarantining, despite cabinet opposition, The Times reported on Saturday, citing government sources.

Under the current rules, only fully vaccinated US and EU citizens can visit the island without undergoing a mandatory quarantine. It is expected that these rules would be extended to residents of other countries.

The UK prime minister is concerned that denying entry to delegates unless they quarantine would result in the summit being delayed or held in the format of a video conference, the newspaper said, noting that Johnson is determined to have a physical summit but the decision is not yet final.

The decision, however, may lead to a cabinet split, as some politicians, including Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, have raised concerns that granting such delegates entry could be viewed as greenlighting their vaccines, which have not been approved by either the UK or European regulators.

The Scottish city of Glasgow is set to host the COP26 from October 31 to November 12, gathering representatives from some 200 countries. The event, which was canceled last year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, will seek to speed up the implementation of the ground-breaking 2016 Paris Agreement that aims to reduce carbon emissions and promote green transition.

Sourse: sputniknews.com