Meeting with the leadership of Committee on Religions

On March 1, 2024, Metropolitan Pavel of Manila and Hanoi, the administrator of the Philippine—Vietnamese Diocese, met with the leadership of the Committee on Religious Affairs under the Government of the Republic of Vietnam. On the Vietnamese side, the meeting was attended by: Deputy Head of the Committee Nguyen Anh Tic, Head of the Department of Faiths and Other Religions Chan Thi Minh Thu, Deputy Head of the Personnel and International Relations Department of Ngo Thi Xuan Lan. The Russian Federation was represented by E.N. Bakeeva, Counselor-Envoy of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vietnam, K.V. Lunev, Counselor of the Embassy of the Russian Federation in Vietnam, Hieromonk Cornelius (Molev), Secretary of the Philippine-Vietnamese Diocese, and Priest Evgeny Tsukalo, dean of the Vietnamese Deanery. Mr. Nguyen Anh Thik warmly thanked Bishop Pavel for the opportunity to take part in an important meeting, noting that in the Republic of Vietnam there is freedom of religion, 95% of citizens profess some kind of faith, they are allowed to pray and perform religious rites. Metropolitan Pavel spoke about the history and development of the Orthodox Church in Russia, focusing on the fact that there are many communities of Russian citizens in the Republic of Vietnam, mainly in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang and Vung Tau, who need spiritual care. The participants of the meeting discussed the issues of the registration process of Orthodox communities in accordance with the legislation of the Republic. They also discussed the construction of a temple in Vung Tau, Vietnam.