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Vatican dignitaries’ visit lays groundwork for ties

Published: 18/02/2009 05:00

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LookAtVietnam – A senior religious official of the Vietnamese government thinks the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group’s first meeting will surely create a favourable foundation for the two sides in their future subsequent steps.

Chairman of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs, Nguyen The Doanh, made the comment while speaking to the Vietnam News Agency about the Vatican delegation’s visit to Vietnam.

The Vatican delegation led by Under-secretary of State for Relations with States Pietro Parolin is in Vietnam to attend the first session of the Vietnam-Vatican Joint Working Group, which runs from February 16 to 22 and aims to establish diplomatic relations between the two states.

According to the Government official, this is the 16th official working visit to Vietnam by the Vatican delegation since 1990. Up to June 2008, delegations from the Vatican and the Vietnamese Government had held 17 meetings, with this meeting being the 18th and two meetings taking place in Rome (in 1992 and 2005). Bilateral meetings have been held every year since 1990 in accordance with the two sides’ agreement.

At the 16th and 17th meetings, which took place in March 2007 and June 2008, respectively, the two sides agreed to each set up joint groups of experts headed by deputy foreign ministers to discuss boosting bilateral relations, Doanh said, stressing that discussions of a range of issues have been carried out on the basis of international practice and the concrete conditions and circumstances of each side.

He noted that this meeting is the first since the two sides reached agreement on setting up joint expert groups and apart from Vietnam-Vatican relations, the two sides also discussed issues relating to the Vietnamese Catholic Church as well as other issues of common concern.

Regarding the progress the two sides have made during the 17 previous meetings, Doanh said, “Through the meetings, the two sides have acquired an ever better mutual understanding and realised that respect for the bilateral principle agreements is as necessary as respect for the issues of mutual concern discussed during the meetings.

“It can also be confirmed that dialogue is the most suitable form of creating a friendly environment for the two sides to better understand each other and to jointly solve the issues of mutual concern for the common interest of each side. That is why the two sides are largely satisfied with the meetings.”

He mentioned the meeting between Pope Benedict XVI and Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung at the Vatican two years ago, saying this reflected the righteous foreign and religious policies of the Vietnamese State during the national renewal period and was also a result of the process of dialogue jointly taken by the two sides since 1990.

“The work of maintaining the dialogue and its results have created a chance for the two sides to get closer to each other and improved mutual understanding,” Doanh emphasised.

By the 15th visit to Vietnam, the Vatican delegation had toured all the 26 Catholic dioceses in the country, according to the official.

He affirmed that through the tours, the Vatican gained a better understanding of the Vietnamese Catholic Church, the country, the people, the history, the culture and the customs and practices of Vietnam. “It can be said that those meetings serve as a favourable prerequisite for boosting bilateral relations,” he said.

Discussing the most important factors that help boost the bilateral relations, Doanh said, “First of all, mutual respect, including respect for Vietnam’s independence and sovereignty, history, culture, traditions and laws; the sharing of and mutual respect for the differences along with the demonstration of goodwill in search of new ties between the two sides.

“Secondly, to obtain positive results in bilateral relations we must ensure harmony between the interests of each side.

“Thirdly, both sides must be determined to pursue clear and healthy development, in which the maintenance and affirmation of the Vietnamese Catholic Church ‘taking the same road as the nation’ is of special and important significance. It should not be affected by negative thoughts and acts from any third side.”

The government official reiterated that the 17 meetings have brought about positive and practical results, adding, “although this is the first meting of the joint expert groups from the two sides, the outcomes from the meetings over the years and the goodwill from the two sides, together with the initial fruits of this meeting, are sure to create a favourable basis for the subsequent steps in the future.”

VietNamNet/VNA

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