POPE RECEIVES GENERAL SECRETARY OF COMMUNIST PARTY OF VIETNAM

Vatican City, 22 January, 2013 (VIS) – This morning the Holy Father received in audience the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, His Excellency Nguyen Phu Trong. Following the audience with the Pope, First Secretary Trong and his entourage then went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., accompanied by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

This is the first time that a general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam has met with the Supreme Pontiff and other administrators of the Secretariat of State. During the course of cordial discussions, topics of interest to Vietnam and the Holy See were covered, expressing the hope that some pending situations may be resolved and that the existing fruitful cooperation may be strengthened.