Party General Secretary and State President of Vietnam To Lam met with Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin in New York on Sunday morning as part of the top Vietnamese official’s trip to the U.S. from Saturday to Tuesday.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the United Nations Summit of the Future and the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The two offiicals highly commended the positive progress in Vietnam-Vatican relations, especially the appointment of the Vatican’s Resident Papal Representative in Vietnam and the opening of the Office of the Resident Papal Representative in Hanoi in 2024.

Party General Secretary and State President Lam expressed thanks to Pope Francis for offering his sympathy and encouragement to the people of Vietnam who have coped with the aftermath of the devastating typhoon Yagi, which made landfall in northern Vietnam on September 7, claimed the lives of more than 290 people, and wreaked havoc on 237,000 homes.

The top Vietnamese leader acknowledged and highly valued the fine sentiments expressed by Pope Francis and Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin toward Vietnam.

President Lam emphasized that Vietnam has facilitated pastoral visits by the current Resident Papal Representative and the non-resident special envoy.

He also expressed his respect for the messages, teachings, and letters sent by previous Popes to the Catholic community in Vietnam.

These communications highlighted the view that "a good Catholic is a good citizen," encouraging the Catholic Church in Vietnam to make contributions to the national life for the interests of the entire population through dialogue and cooperation.

Secretary of State Parolin recalled a good impression of Vietnam from his previous visit and affirmed that the Catholic Church in Vietnam is committed to supporting the country's development.

Both sides underlined the importance of maintaining the exchange of high-ranking delegations and the meetings of the Vietnam-Vatican joint working group to promote mutual respect and understanding.

Parolin affirmed that the Holy See's Resident Papal Representative is actively cooperating with Vietnam and shared that Pope Francis hopes to visit the country soon and bolster the Vietnam - Vatican relations.

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