President Klaus Iohannis said on Tuesday that the existence of a green COVID-19 vaccination certificate is not a problem in itself, but the possibility that this document become "an instrument of discrimination".
"I was not reluctant to the idea of a certificate. I was reluctant to the idea of a discriminatory vaccination passport. I don't think we can discriminate on the basis of vaccination. We cannot divide European citizens into two categories, some get to go on holiday and others not. So, it is the rights that are established and that are guaranteed for everyone," the head of state told a press conference, at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace.
He detailed that the vaccination certificate could be used for medical reasons, and the document would exclude the obligation for its holder to be quarantined once arrived in another country.
"On the other hand, we cannot use such certificates to restrict, for example, freedom of movement. If a person does not have this certificate, they cannot be told that they are not allowed to travel to Europe. They are allowed. But they will have to observe the restrictions that are in place for the people in that state. So the existence of the certificate is not problematic, but the way we use it, we should use it for medical reasons, but not turn this instrument an instrument of discrimination," explained Klaus Iohannis.