General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee and State President To Lam and Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Photo: VOV

At their meeting, during the UN Summit of the Future and the 79th session of the UN General Assembly, the two agreed that regular high-level exchanges and meetings of the Vietnam-Vatican joint working group have been key in building mutual respect and understanding.

Mr. Lam praised the messages and teachings of past Popes and Pope Francis to Vietnam's Catholic community, and encouraged the Vietnam Catholic Church to contribute to Vietnam through dialogue and cooperation.

Secretary of State Parolin said the Vietnam Catholic Church aims to support Vietnam’s development with sincerity, responsibility, and trust, adding that the Vatican's Papal Representative has been cooperating with Vietnam, and Pope Francis hopes to visit Vietnam soon.

Meeting with Vietnamese intellectuals in Houston, Texas, the same day, Mr. Lam said the Vietnamese Party and State view overseas Vietnamese as an integral part of Vietnam and praised their contributions to Vietnam-US ties. He said he hopes Vietnamese intellectuals worldwide will continue to contribute to their homeland.