The Vatican and Vietnam have started to engage in dialogue again.
In the Vatican, the VIII Meeting of the Working Group between the Holy See and the Socialist Republic of Vietnam will be held on August 21-22.
The aim of the meeting is to develop and deepen bilateral relations, “in particular, some aspects of ecclesial life in the country will be dealt with, as well as questions concerning the status and mission of the Pontifical Representative Resident in Vietnam and the visit of the Eminence Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, scheduled for the near future.”
Official talks between the two states begun in October 2016. The last of these meetings took place in December 2018 and ended with the announcement the Holy See would have a permanent representative in the Asian country.
In 1975, after the Vietnam War, the communist regime violently repressed Christians throughout the country. It has taken decades to reestablish diplomatic relations.
