Chairman of the Hanoi municipal People’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung (R) meets with Gary E. Stevenson, who led the delegation of the LDS Church, on March 15 (Photo: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Chairman of the Hanoi municipalPeople’s Committee Nguyen Duc Chung hosted a reception in Hanoi on March 15 fora delegation of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church)who are on a working visit to Vietnam.
Gary E. Stevenson, who led the delegation,expressed his delight at the positive changes of Hanoi with many big transportand urban infrastructure projects since he visited the capital city of Vietnamfor the first time in 2016.
He noted the LDS Church is growing and has beenpresent in 190 countries and territories with about 16 million followers, morethan half of whom are US citizens.
He also noted with satisfaction that theVietnamese Government Committee for Religious Affairs recognised theprovisional mission of the LDS Church in Vietnam. At present, the LDS Churchhas two districts in Vietnam, including one with three branches in Hanoi.
Stevenson said the LDS Church followers in Hanoihave practiced their religion freely and in broader spaces, through which hecan see the support of the city’s administration and the Vietnamese Government.
The LDS Church will continue implementinghumanitarian programmes in Hanoi and Vietnam through encouraging its followersto actively engage in environmental protection, climate change response, andproviding clean water for people in remote areas, he added.
Appreciating the Church’s activities in Hanoiand Vietnam, Chairman Chung expressed his hopes that the Vietnam mission of theLDS Church will soon be completed and develop.
He affirmed Vietnam’s consistent policy ofcreating favourable conditions for all citizens to practice their faith.
During its development, Hanoi has been facing anumber of challenges, especially in transport, pollution, health care andeducation. It hopes that the Church will become a bridge linking the city withthe state of Utah of the US so as to open up cooperation opportunities in thefuture, the official noted.-VNA
VNA
