Russia hopes tourist exchanges with Italy will be resumed after Russian coronavirus vaccines are finally recognized in the European Union, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Friday after talks with his Italian counterpart, Luigi Di Maio.

"We hope that as soon the issue of mutual recognition of vaccines is settled these [tourist] exchanges will be resumed," he said.

The Russian minister recalled that direct air service with Italy was resumed a month ago. "Italians who arrive in Russia by these flights are absolutely free to be on our territory as their programs of stay provide," he said.

According to Lavrov, most of the European Union member states are waiting for the go-ahead from the European Medicines Agency to recognize Russian vaccines. However, he pointed out that the final decision on this matter is taken by national governments. "Like Hungary did. It registered the [Russian] Sputnik vaccine at the national level and we have an agreement of mutual recognition of vaccination with the jabs used in Russia and jabs used in Hungary," he noted, adding that the European Union is making "not quite constructive statements" concerning Russian and Chinese vaccines.