Vatican, 28 July, 2023 / 8:10 pm (ACI Africa).
In a significant move towards establishing full diplomatic relations, the Holy See and Vietnam have agreed to work towards the establishment of a Resident Papal Representative in Hanoi.
This development was announced Thursday during a visit to the Vatican by Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong.
The Holy See Press Office issued a statement on July 27 following the meeting of the Holy See-Vietnam Joint Working Group in Hanoi.
"The two parties agreed that relations between Vietnam and the Holy See should be maintained on mutually agreed-upon principles and fruitful dialogue, with the objective of consolidating reciprocal trust and strengthening relations in the common interest of the two parties and the Vietnamese Catholic community."
On the issue of a permanent presence of a Vatican diplomat in Vietnam, the statement notes that the "two delegations agreed upon issues relevant to raising, in the near future, the level of relations between Vietnam and the Holy See from a non-resident to a Resident Pontifical Representative and agreed on future steps to be undertaken to establish an office of the Resident Pontifical Representative in Hanoi."
