Russia lifts all COVID restrictions on transport links with Armenia, Kyrgyzstan

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin signed a decree canceling all coronavirus restrictions on transport communication with Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. The document was published on the official portal of legal information on Tuesday, TASS reported. The changes are introduced to the May 20, 2022 decree of the cabinet of ministers which established a "list of foreign states with regards to which temporary restrictions on the transport links introduced by Russia are lifted." Now, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan are added to this list. Earlier, it included nine countries: Abkhazia, Belarus, the Donetsk and Lugansk People’s Republics, Kazakhstan, China, Mongolia, Ukraine and South Ossetia. The transport restrictions are lifted since the date the country is included in this list. According to the decree, the document is approved in accordance with the June 15, 2021 presidential decree on temporary measures on regulating the legal status of foreigners in Russia amid the spread of the coronavirus infection. In particular, that decree suspended the duration of the effective period of temporary and permanent residence permits for foreigners. It was noted that it was suspended for the period "until 90 days expire following the lifting of Russia’s temporary restrictions on transportation communication" with foreign countries. The list of countries with regards to which the restrictions are lifted should be defined by the Russian government. Now that the list is approved, after 90 days, the duration of the effective periods of staying in Russia for the residents of these countries will resume.