Việt Nam, Cambodia should enhance sharing experience to ensure religious freedom

Minister of Home Affairs Phạm Thị Thanh Trà (right) and Cambodian Minister of Cults and Religions Chay Borin had talks in Hà Nội on Wednesday. — VNA/VNS Photo Văn Điệp

HÀ NỘI — Việt Nam and Cambodia, having similarities in the practice of Buddhism, should share experience with each other in building the great national solidarity to create favourable conditions for their people to exercise the right to freedom of belief and religion, Minister of Home Affairs Phạm Thị Thanh Trà said on Wednesday.

Hosting Cambodian Minister of Cults and Religions Chay Borin, Trà stressed that as a multi-religion country, Việt Nam has paid due regard to the State management of religious affairs. Over recent years, the religious situation in Việt Nam has remained stable while the Party’s policies and guidelines on the affairs have been carried out properly, thus ensuring solidarity and the respect for all people’s right to the freedom of belief and religion, which has contributed to national development and the great national solidarity.

The host highly valued the cooperation between the Vietnamese Ministry of Home Affairs/the Government’s Committee for Religious Affairs and the Cambodian Ministry of Cults and Religions. She expressed her hope that the two sides will discuss and reach a consensus to bolster their cooperation regarding State management in the area in a more intensive and effective manner, aiming to promote the great national solidarity as well as the values of religions.

The Cambodian official laid a stress on the friendly neighbourliness, traditional friendship and time-tested comprehensive cooperation between the two nations, while affirming a commitment to fruitfully implementing the agreements signed between the two ministries.

At their talks, the two ministers briefed each other on their countries’ religious situation and State management experience in the field. They also reviewed the implementation of the cooperation agreement on religious work for 2022-26, signed in HCM City in November 2022.

The sides agreed to continue carrying out their cooperation agreement, improve the cooperation effectiveness in State management of religious affairs and also encourage and create favourable conditions for the two Buddhist communities to enhance collaboration so as to make practical contributions to building solidarity and friendship between the two nations.

According to Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Vũ Chiến Thắng, about 95 per cent of the Vietnamese population practise a belief or a religion, with more than 27 million people, or 27 per cent of the population, being religious followers.

The State of Việt Nam has been consistently implementing the policy of respecting and protecting the right to freedom of belief and religion for all, ensuring equality among the religions, and capitalising on religions’ cultural and ethical values along with resources for national development. — VNS