Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang

Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Le Thi Thu Hang made the remark at the ministry’s regular press conference in Hanoi on Thursday, in response to a question regarding the US State Department’s release of the report: “The consistent policy of the State of Vietnam is to respect and ensure the freedom of belief and religion, and following or not following any religions. This was enshrined in the Constitution and law of Vietnam and is ensured and respected in reality. That has created a very diverse culture of religion and belief in Vietnam. Vietnamese law bans any religious and belief discrimination. The State of Vietnam has been implementing many concrete policies and measures to ensure that people fully benefit from the right to freedom of religion and belief, including the Law on Belief and Religion, which was approved by the National Assembly in November 2016 and will take effect in January 2018. The 2016 International Religious Freedom Annual Report of the US State Department made some adjustments to match the reality in Vietnam. However, it is a regret that the report still retains some subjective assessments and cited incorrect information about Vietnam.”

At the conference, Hang also informed the press about several external activities of the country in the time ahead.