VFF Vice President Tran Thanh Man (R) receives Kyoichi Sugino (Photo: VNA)
Hanoi (VNA) – Vice President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Central Committee Tran Thanh Man has reiterated Vietnam’s consistent policy of respecting and ensuring citizens’ rights to religious freedom.
Hosting a reception for Deputy Secretary General of the World Conference of Religions for Peace Kyoichi Sugino in Hanoi on February 22, Man updated his guest about the activities of religious organisations in Vietnam, including the patriotic emulation campaign, humanitarian drives and calling for public involvement in pre-school education, health care and vocational training.
Sugino, in turn, said the 90-member World Conference of Religions for Peace is an international non-governmental organisation based in New York. It has been recognised by the United Nations Economic and Social Council and works to promote peace, sustainable development and environment protection via cooperation among religions.
He said his visit is meant to acquire the Vietnamese Party and government’s feedback on dialogues and coordination among religions in Southeast Asia and the possibility of developing a foundation for collaboration among Vietnamese religions.
The guest hoped for support from the VFF Central Committee in religious cooperation.
Vietnam has so far recognised 40 affiliates from 14 religions, which group nearly 80,000 dignitaries, more than 22 million religious followers, over 25,900 places of worship, 102 religious training establishments and 761 humanitarian establishments.-VNA
