Sweden, which has not been included in the list of 19 countries whose tourists can visit Cyprus once the airports reopen next month, will raise the issue with Nicosia, Bloomberg reports.
Foreign Minister Ann Linde said she planned to raise the issue with Cyprus at a meeting of EU ministers on Friday.
Last week, Cyprus announced the reopening of its airports in two phases — from June 9 to 20 and from June 20 on.
And it said that a team of special scientists had classified countries on the basis of their epidemiological image in two categories, with which the connection of Cyprus by air would resume.
For countries not included in the list, flights to the Republic of Cyprus will be allowed only with passengers who are Cypriot citizens, permanent residents of Cyprus and persons issued with a special permit.
In its article, Bloomberg said Sweden’s Foreign Minister is struggling to improve her country’s reputation abroad after “Swedes were declared personae non gratae by fellow European Union member, Cyprus.”
In an interview with Bloomberg News on Tuesday, Linde said she was hoping for “a proportional reaction. We don’t want discrimination,” she said.
As other European countries begin to ease restrictions, Sweden once again finds itself in the spotlight over its decision to keep much of society open since the onset of the pandemic, Bloomberg notes.
The country’s Covid-19 mortality rate is now among the highest in the world, at 39 per 100,000.
Though the foreign minister told Bloomberg she understands some of the frustration around Sweden’s laxer virus response, she argued that it’s wrong to “just look at death rates during a certain week.”
“I would like to see the reopening happening in a more orderly way,” Linde said.
Under the government’s plans category A are Greece, Malta, Bulgaria, Norway, Austria, Finland, Slovenia, Hungary, Israel, Denmark, Germany, Slovakia, Lithuania.
Category B are Switzerland, Poland, Romania, Croatia, Estonia, Czech Republic.
This effectively excludes Cyprus’ two biggest markets — the UK and Russia, as well as 11 EU member states, including Sweden.
In Phase A, those coming from countries of both categories must present a laboratory test certificate from an approved laboratory showing a negative result in order to be allowed to board their flight, with the test having taken place 72 hours prior to departure.
Cypriot citizens and permanent residents of Cyprus may alternatively undergo the laboratory testing at their arrival in Cyprus. In this case and until the announcement of the result, they shall remain in self-isolation at home.
In Phase B, which begins on 20 June, passengers coming from countries included in category A will not be required to bring a laboratory test certificate.
Passengers coming from countries included in category B will have to present a laboratory test certificate from an approved laboratory showing a negative result in order to be allowed to board their flight, with the test having taken place 72 hours prior to departure.
The government said the classification of countries will be updated and additional countries will be announced in the coming days.
