Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec 5, 2009 / 20:00 pm
The Vietnamese government has announced that President Nguyen Minh Triet will visit the Vatican and meet with Pope Benedict XVI next week to strengthen ties between his country and the Holy See.
The countries do not have diplomatic relations and Vietnamese Catholics continue to protest their treatment at the hands of the communist government. However, Vietnam and the Holy See have begun reconciliation in recent years, according to Agence France Presse.
President Triet will visit the Vatican on Dec. 11 as part of a European tour through Italy, Spain and Slovakia.
Vietnam’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Nguyen Phuong Nga said the president will meet with Pope Benedict during his trip to Italy. They will discuss "measures to reinforce relations between Vietnam and the Vatican," which she said have been progressing well.