The meeting was co-chaired by Deputy Minister of Vietnam Home Affairs Vũ Chiến Thắng and Minister of Cambodia Cults and Religion Chay Borin, and joined by Chairman of the Vietnam Government Committee for Religious Affairs (GCRA) Vũ Hoài Bắc, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Kingdom of Cambodia in Vietnam Chea Kimtha.

At the exchange meeting

Welcoming the delegation of the Cambodia Cults and Religion, Deputy Minister Vũ Chiến Thắng shared about religious life in Vietnam. Accordingly, Vietnam is a multi-ethic and multi-religious country with about 95% of the Vietnamese population following a belief or religion, and over 27 million people are religious adherents accounting for 27% of the country’s population. The State of Vietnam has consistently implemented a policy of respecting and protecting everyone’s right to freedom of belief and religion, ensuring equality between religions, promoting cultural values, good ethics and religious resources for the national development process through the Constitution and laws.

Deputy Minister of Vietnam Home Affairs Vũ Chiến Thắng speaks at the event

Sharing with Vietnam delegation about religious life in Cambodia, Minister Chay Borin stated that Cambodia has over 93% of the population following Buddhism with more than 70,000 monks and about 5,000 Buddhist temples. Some other religions in Cambodia include Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, etc..

Minister of Cambodia Cults and Religion Chay Borin speaks at the meeting

At the meeting, the two sides focused on the religious situation and policies of each country, challenges facing the state management of religion, as well as reviewed the implementation of the Cooperation Agreement on religious affairs over the two last years and mapped out plans for the rest of the 2022-2026 period.

The two ministries also highly appreciated results of cooperation in the field of religion through high-level delegation exchanges, mutual support in organizing international events related to religion, and favorable conditions created for Buddhism of the two country strengthen exchanges. Cooperation activities in the field of religion in recent times have contributed to improve the effectiveness of state management on religion in each country, strengthen information sharing between the two agencies, contributing to promote the neighborly friendship and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia.

In the coming time, the two state agencies will continue proactively implementing the Cooperation Agreement focusing on enhancing high-level delegation exchanges, advising on the cooperation in training on religious affairs into the annual cooperation plan between the two governments of Vietnam and Cambodia, creating favorable conditions for exchanging programs on religious affairs in border provinces of the two countries, strengthening exchanges and cooperation in Buddhist affairs and monk training between the Buddhist sangha of the two countries, etc.

Delegations of two ministries pose for group photo

NL