Hanoi (AsiaNews/Agencies) Religious freedom was at the centre of talks in Hanoi between US Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick and Vietnamese authorities, especially Deputy Prime Minister Vu Khoan, and the Minister of Planning and Investment Vo Hong Phuc.
The announcement that Vietnam and the US had reached an agreement on religious freedom, whose details have not however been released yet, came a few hours after it was announced that Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai will visit Washington on June 21, the first such visit by a top Vietnamese official since the end of the Vietnam War 30 years after.
The US acknowledged for their part the progress made by Hanoi in the area of religious freedom, an issue that has been a bone of contention between the two countries. This progress was measured by the recent release of people detained on religious grounds and the reopening of some churches.
