Vietnam highly appreciates its growing relations with the Vatican, National Assembly (NA) Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung said at a meeting with Pope Francis I in the Holy See over the weekend.

The NA Chairman told the Pope Saturday that Vietnam’s Party and State are consistent in their diplomatic policy of independence, self-reliance, peace, cooperation and multilateralization of external relations. He also affirmed that the country considers religions and creeds as a spiritual need of the people that contribute to ensuring and promoting the national unity.

The Vietnamese legislature’s leader briefed his host on the growing relationship between Vietnam and the Catholic Church, adding that there are many annual meetings between Vietnamese leaders, the pontiff and other Church dignitaries. He also highly valued the positive outcomes of the Vietnam – Vatican Joint Working Group’s annual meetings and the appointment of a Vatican non-permanent envoy to Vietnam.

Hung expressed his hope that the Pope will further direct the Vietnam Catholic Church to maintain operating under the motto “Living Gospel in the Midst of the Nation” and make more contributions to the country’s social and economic development. On the same day, the NA Chairman also had a meeting with Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, during which Hung hailed the latter’s role in developing the bilateral relationship between Vietnam and the Vatican.

Vietnam will continue to be a friend, a trustworthy partner and a responsible member of the international community, Hung told the cardinal. At the same time, Vietnam is ready to boost ties with the Holy See on the principle of respect for independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs, Hung added.

Hung also had talks with General Secretary of the Party of Italian Communists Cesare Procaccini, at which he thanked the Italian communists for their support for Vietnam during its struggle for liberation in the past and construction currently.

Procaccini pledged to do his utmost to tighten ties between the two parties, countries and peoples, and affirmed that the Party of Italian Communists expects to further solidarity, friendship and cooperation with the Communist Party of Vietnam.