(VNF) - Pope Francis has welcomed and spoke highly of President Tran Dai Quang’s visit to the Vatican, considering it an occasion for Vietnam and the Vatican to enhance mutual understanding, thereby working towards warming long-strained ties.

At a meeting with the Vietnamese leader on November 23^rd evening (Vatican time), the Pope recalled the fine impressions he had during his meetings with Vietnam’s senior leaders in recent years. He also expressed his sentiment toward the Southeast Asian nation.

The meeting took place in a sincere and straightforward manner with mutual respect. (Source: VNA)

The Vatican highly values the country’s socio-economic development achievements, along with its collection of public opinions before approving the Law of Belief and Religion, he said.

President Quang thanked the Pope’s sentiment towards Vietnam and voiced his delight at the encouraging strides in bilateral relations.

Vietnam consistently respects and ensures the right to freedom of religion or belief of all people, he affirmed, adding that it has also continually fine-tuned the legal framework for ensuring that right.

He and Pope Francis shared the view on positive progress in the Vietnamese-Vatican relations as seen through high-level meetings and maintained dialogues via the joint working group mechanism.

Appreciating active contributions by Vietnam’s Catholic community over the past time, they underlined that the Catholic Church in Vietnam should operate as in line with law and Catholics should lead a good secular and religious life and be good citizens.

They also agreed to maintain dialogues and meetings between the two sides to search for ways to develop relations even further.

On this occasion, President Quang also met with Vatican Secretary of State Pietro Parolin to exchange views on the Catholicism situation in Vietnam and the Vietnamese-Vatican relations./.

( Compiled by VNF )