It was a "positive meeting" yesterday morning between the Pope and a delegation of representatives of the Communist Party of Vietnam, a sign of a strengthening of relations with the Holy See and also of a possible future visit of the Pontiff to the country. The audience took place in the Vatican Apostolic Palace and the group then moved to the Secretariat of State for talks with Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, and Monsignor Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with states. Gallagher himself reported details of the meeting. First of all, the archbishop judged the appointment positively, expressing the hope that the Catholic community will be able to benefit from this which is a further step forward in bilateral relations that adds to other important achievements from the diplomatic point of view, such as the agreement in December to appoint a resident papal representative in Vietnam, the apostolic nuncio to Singapore, Polish Monsignor Marek Zalewski. The understanding was signed in July during President Vo Van Thuong's visit to the Vatican on the basis of the 10th session of the Vietnam-Holy See Joint Working Group held in Rome on March 31.
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