The Vietnamese State always respects the rights to freedom of religion and belief and considers religious people as an integral part of the great national unity bloc.

The statement was made by Deputy Director of the Government Committee for Religious Affairs Nguyen Van Doanh at a press briefing held in Hanoi on February 1 to introduce a white book on religion and religious policies in Vietnam.

To help readers inside and outside the country and researchers better understand the religious situation and State policies on religious activities in Vietnam, the Government Committee for Religious Affairs published the three-chapter white book in which chapter one introduces religious and belief activities and religions in Vietnam, chapter 2 deals with State polices on religion and belief and chapter 3 mentions the Party and State’s viewpoints on international relations of different religions.

Mr Doanh said religious followers are also citizens and are treated as equally as citizens of other social sections. There is no discriminatory treatment for whatever religious or belief reasons.

At the press briefing, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Le Dung and Mr Doanh answered many questions about Vietnam’s religious and belief policies and its international relations with regard to religion and belief.