VFF leader receives US guests

Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Vu Trong Kim (Source: VNA)

Vice President and General Secretary of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Vu Trong Kim hosted a reception for visiting Professor Mary Ann Glendon, Commissioner of the US Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) in Hanoi on August 28.

The host updated his guest on recent religious activities in Vietnam and the religion’s involvement in and contributions to educational and medical activities, social sponsoring, vocational training, HIV/AIDS prevention and environmental protection.

Kim said Vietnam is home to 14 orthodox religions and 41 religious organisations recognised by the State with 22.1 million followers, a number of which are members of the VFF.

According to the official, religions in Vietnam have a private doctrine and continually abide by the Party’s policies and the State’s laws. The country also has an ordinance on religions and beliefs.

As many as 296 nursery schools with over 3,600 fully-equipped classrooms have been built by religions nationwide, contributing remarkably to the country’s education development, he noted.

For her part, Glendon said she hopes her country and Vietnam will enhance links and become partners in the field.

In the framework of the meeting, members from the USCIRF asked about conditions for religions to be able to become members of the VFF and Vietnam’s State management of religious belief freedom.-VNA