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Nikkei, a Japanese financial newspaper, reported on June 23rd that Europe is the next region hoping Vietnam will resume international flights because Vietnam is one of the countries that has pushed back Covid-19 the fastest, with no new community cases for more than two consecutive months.
In an interview with Nikkei Asia in Ho Chi Minh City at the end of June, Nicolas Audier, President of the European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam, urged Vietnamese authorities to agree to grant visas and allow foreigners to enter the country.
Currently, Hanoi has allowed international visitors to leave the territory and is receiving repatriation flights for citizens from countries around the world. However, standard and commercial flights between Europe and Vietnam remain suspended, with resumption expected only in 2021. Mr. Audier hopes that Vietnam will shorten the timeframe and launch international routes immediately after the EVFTA – the Vietnam-EU Free Trade Agreement – comes into effect on August 1st.
According to Mr. Audier, after the EVFTA comes into effect, many European companies will show greater interest in Vietnam. Many businesspeople and investors want to visit Vietnam for a few days during their business trips to Asia. This is also why he hopes Vietnam will soon reopen international commercial flights.
Before Europe, many Asian countries had already placed Vietnam on their top list of potential partners after the reopening of international borders and air travel, including Japan and Myanmar. Foreigners who have stayed in Vietnam for 14 consecutive days are also exempt from mandatory quarantine upon arrival in Singapore.
On June 18, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ms. Le Thi Thu Hang, stated: "Vietnam is in discussions with several countries such as China, Japan, and South Korea regarding the gradual resumption of travel, based on the actual situation and the needs of both sides."
