Leaders of the Steering Committee for the Southwest Region praised the efforts of officials in charge of religious affairs from regional localities in advising the Party and State on religious policies, enhancing the efficiency of State management in the field.

In recent years, officials have significantly contributed to encouraging religions to engage in national defence and construction, said Duong Quoc Xuan, Deputy Head of the committee at a meeting in the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho to mark the 60th anniversary of State management of religion.

Xuan noted that the implementation of religious policies in the region have been on the right track.

Regional localities have created favourable conditions for religious organisations to operate in line with the law while guiding followers to adhere to registered programmes and handle their requests on religious activities and the building and upgrade of worship facilities, he added.

He also expressed delight that all major events of various religions in the region have been held in conformity with the law.

The southwest region, covering 13 Mekong Delta localities, is home to a diversity of religions, including Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, the Cao Dai Church, Hoa Hao Church and Islam.

Together with 4,646 worship facilities, the region has over 11,000 religious dignitaries and 6 million followers, accounting for 30 percent of the total population.-VNA