Việt Nam ready for constructive talks with US on religious freedom report: Foreign ministry

Spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Lê Thị Thu Hằng. — Photo from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Việt Nam is ready to have “frank, open, and constructive” talks with the US on the differences regarding freedom of beliefs and religion.

Lê Thị Thu Hằng, spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Việt Nam, was answering questions regarding the US State Department’s 2020 Country Reports on Human Rights Practices launched late March during the virtual press conference held on Thursday.

Hằng said the report has acknowledged some of Việt Nam’s efforts in protecting and promoting religious and belief freedoms, but it still offered unobjective assessments based on inaccurate information on the real situation in Việt Nam.

“The State always respects and uniformly implements the policy on ensuring people’s rights to freedom of beliefs and religion as well as people’s rights to freedom of non-religion and non-belief, ensures equality and non-discrimination on the basis of one’s religion and belief, and to protect the activities of religious organisations by the laws,” she said.

“All efforts and achievements by Việt Nam in ensuring the people’s rights to freedom of belief and religion are widely recognised by the international community.”

Việt Nam is always willing to have “frank, open, and constructive” discussions with the US on issues where differences remain between the two countries, in order to foster understanding and contribute to the development of the Việt Nam-US Comprehensive Partnership, spokesperson Hằng stressed. — VNS