Vietnam-Holy See Joint Working Group meeting this week

(June 21, 2010) The second meeting of the Vietnam-Holy See Joint Working Group aimed at normalizing diplomatic relations between them will take place in the Vatican on Wednesday and Thursday. Vatican spokesman, Fr. Federico Lombardi released a note on Monday saying, “the meeting aims to deepen and develop bilateral relations, as decided upon at the end of the first meeting of the Joint Working Group in Hanoi, Vietnam, on 16-17 February, last year. The Vietnamese government said its delegation that is already in Rome is being led by deputy Foreign Minister Nguyen Thanh Son and includes officials from the Ministry for Public Security and the Committee for Religious Affairs. Relations between Vietnam and the Holy See have warmed in recent years with easing of restrictions on the Catholic community and exchange of visits by top officials. Pope Benedict XVI received president Nguyen Minh Triet of Vietnam in the Vatican on December 11, last year, the first head of the southeast Asian nation to visit a pope. Vietnam's 6 million Catholics are the second largest Catholic community in Asia after the Philippines.