226 European diplomats, businesspeople arrive in Vietnam for investment activities

The Bamboo Airways flight took off from Frankfurt and landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Hanoi on Thursday night, a press release from the Delegation of German Industry and Commerce in Vietnam, one of the organizers of the trip, said.

Marko Walde, chief representative of the delegation, said that "This will promote investment and business activities as well as contribute to the successful achievement of the dual objectives: promoting socioeconomic development and effectively preventing the epidemic in Vietnam."

"This flight will be a special mark in the EU - Vietnam relationship as well as German – Vietnamese cooperation, a perfect start when the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) will come into effect on August 1, 2020," Marko added.

The EVFTA reduces or eliminates tariffs on 99 percent of goods.

Vietnam halted international commercial flights and entry for foreign nationals in late March and has since only allowed people with diplomatic or official passports, experts and high-skilled workers to enter.

Vietnam has had 558 Covid-19 cases, 182 of them active. Three people have died as of Saturday morning.

The country of 96 million has been struggling with a new wave of domestic infections.