Want to be in the loop?
subscribe to
our notification
Business News
VN COMMITS TO FACILITATE RELIGIOUS ACTIVITIES WITHIN LEGAL FRAMEWORK
Minister of Foreign Affairs Bùi Thanh Sơn affirmed that Việt Nam always pays attention to and facilitates religious activities, including Catholicism, to thrive within the bounds of the Constitution and legal framework.
He made the remarks on Tuesday while receiving Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organisations, during his six-day visit to Việt Nam.
Scheduled from April 9-14, this visit is conducted at the invitation of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Việt Nam and marks the first time a Vatican Secretary for Relations with States has visited Việt Nam at this level.
At the meeting, Sơn welcomed Archbishop Gallagher's first visit to Việt Nam, and stated that this is an opportunity for the archbishop to witness Việt Nam's dynamic development, as well as the rich and vibrant religious life of the Catholic community in Việt Nam.
Sơn emphasised that Việt Nam consistently pursues an independent, self-reliant, multilateral and diversified foreign policy, being a reliable partner and a responsible member of the international community. He also expressed his desire to develop relations with other countries based on principles of equality, mutual respect, mutually beneficial cooperation and compliance with international law.
He affirmed that Việt Nam always pursues a consistent policy of respecting and ensuring people's freedom to belief and religion. He emphasised the importance of national unity, where religion is one of the contributing factors to building and developing the country.
Sơn expressed his desire for the Vietnamese Catholic community to continue promoting the good moral values of Catholicism in social life, contributing positively to the development and prosperity of the country and the Catholic Church.
The minister highly appreciated the positive progress of the Việt Nam-Vatican relations in recent times, demonstrated through high-level meetings, results of negotiations of the Việt Nam-Vatican Joint Working Group, and the agreement on the working regulations of the Holy See’s Resident Representative and Office of the Holy See’s Resident Representative in Việt Nam.
Sơn proposed that both sides continue to maintain the effectiveness of high-level exchange activities, and affirmed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, along with relevant agencies, will create conditions for the Resident Representative of the Holy See to fulfil its mission in Việt Nam.
Archbishop Gallagher, for his part, expressed his joy in witnessing the development of the Catholic Church in Việt Nam, and trusted that the Vietnamese Catholic community would make even more contributions to the country's development.
Sharing Minister Sơn's assessment of the well-developing Việt Nam-Vatican relationship, Archbishop Gallagher agreed to promote exchanges and enhance cooperation between the two sides through the Việt Nam-Vatican Joint Working Group mechanism as well as in multilateral and international forums.
The archbishop expressed his hope that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and relevant Vietnamese agencies and localities would continue to create favourable conditions for the activities of the Resident Representative of the Holy See and expressed confidence that the bilateral relationship would continue to achieve important milestones.
As planned, Archbishop Gallagher will meet with Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính, Minister of Home Affairs Phạm Thị Thanh Trà and leaders of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs on Wednesday.
He will visit Hà Nội-based National Children's Hospital, which has had medical cooperation with Rome's Bambino Gesù Children’s Hospital since 2005.
Archbishop Gallagher will celebrate mass at designated cathedrals in Hà Nội, Huế and HCM City, and meet with members of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Việt Nam before wrapping up the visit on April 14.
Source: VNS
Related News
CAR IMPORTS INCREASE 37.5 PER CENT IN 10 MONTHS
Việt Nam mainly imported cars from Indonesia, with 57,963 units imported so far this year (19,569 units higher than over the same period last year). Imports also came from Thailand, with 54,481 units (7,535 units higher than last year) and China, with 24,613 units (16,112 more than last year).
HAIPHONG TARGETS US$4 BILLION IN FDI FOR 2024
Haiphong recently approved 12 new projects in its economic and industrial zones, valued at a combined US$1.8 billion. This brings the total FDI in these zones to US$3.5 billion as of November, surpassing the city’s annual target by 40%.
FOREIGN INVESTORS FLOCKING TO SOUTHERN REGION
Foreign investors are actively calling on southern localities in the final months of 2024 to explore investment opportunities. On November 7, over 40 German businesses arrived in the southern province of Dong Nai to evaluate investment prospects in the area.
IMPROVING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SOCIAL POLICY CREDIT
Following a decade of implementation, social policy credit is expected to enter a new phase of development to achieve higher efficiency for the sake of society and the community. On behalf of the Party Central Secretariat, on October 30, Standing Member of the Party Secretariat Tran Cam Tu signed a directive to improve the efficiency of social policy credit.
VIETNAMESE ENTERPRISES GRAPPLE WITH CHALLENGES IN Q3
In many sectors, businesses acknowledged that simply breaking even was an accomplishment this year. A prominent example is Nam Sông Hậu Trading Investment Petroleum JSC, once a leading fuel distributor in the Mekong Delta.
GLOBAL SOURCING FAIR VIETNAM 2025
Global Sourcing Fair Vietnam 2025, held from 24-26 April at the Saigon Exhibition & Convention Center (SECC), Ho Chi Minh City, is the must-attend international expo for sourcing Fashion & Accessories and Home & Gifts