Important note: Information in this article was accurate in 1995. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date.
The Associated Press - 28 Jul 95
But the paperwork required for such a comprehensive plan apparently will not be ready by the starting date Tuesday, and many are questioning how strictly it would be enforced.
"There have been no clarifications, no documents, just zilch information," said Sylvia Walker, visa manager for the Irish company Andrew's Consulting, which handles dozens of foreigners' visas a month.
"I don't believe it'll begin on Tuesday."
Under the new law, foreigners living or traveling in Russia for more than 90 days would be required to present proof on applying for a visa that they don't have the HIV virus.
The law also would require HIV testing for many Russians, including refugees, prisoners and workers in various unspecified fields that involve a lot of travel, including sailors and cosmonauts.
Alexander Goliusov of the Health Ministry's Infectious Diseases Department said foreigners would have to fill out a state-approved certificate to go with the visa.
"For our part, we have submitted our proposals" to the Foreign Ministry, he said, but have not received approval.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Vladimir Andreyev said Russian certificates were unnecessary and that foreign bills of health would be accepted. Asked if foreigners could be turned away at the border Tuesday, he said he didn't know.
Some of Walker's clients have gotten visas to enter Russia after Tuesday and were told nothing about AIDS-test requirements, she said.
Under the law, foreigners and refugees who test positive for HIV or refuse to be tested would be deported.
Officially, 890 people have tested positive for HIV in Russia, but experts believe the actual number is much higher. AIDS awareness is still a novel concept, and misconceptions abound.
Many foreigners and Russians alike are afraid of medical tests in Russian clinics, citing unsanitary conditions and shortages of disposable syringes.
In Soviet times, some groups of foreigners, notably African students, underwent mandatory testing. Goliusov said 458 foreigners carrying the HIV virus have been identified in Russia since testing began in 1987.
Andreyev, the Foreign Ministry spokesman, said the new law, approved by parliament in February with little opposition, was similar to rules in many countries -- including the United States.
U.S. rules, however, require testing only for immigrant visas, not for tourist trips.
World Health Organization officials oppose mandatory testing in principle, saying it is unenforceable and counterproductive, and violates human rights.
"Testing people coming into a country is meaningless. HIV exists in every country now," said Doris Schopper of WHO's Global Program on AIDS, in Geneva.
Kevin Gardner, who heads an AIDS education and support center in Moscow called AESOP, calls the bill a "bureaucratic nightmare" that won't be implemented for awhile.
That's good when it comes to mandatory testing, he said. But he fears that other parts of the bill -- such as free medical care for people with HIV and protection of their rights -- also will dangle in limbo.
Copyright 1995/The Associated Press. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the Permissions Desk, The Associated Press, 50 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY 10020.
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Copyright © 1995 - Associated Press. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through the AP Permissions Desk.
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