The Vietnamese government cares about and ensures the right to practice beliefs and religions of overseas Vietnamese.

The meeting took place on May 13, as one of the important activities within the framework of the 2019 United Nations Vesak Festival.

Attending the meeting were Mr. Vu Chien Thang - Head of the Central Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs; Mr. Hoang Thanh Nghi - Vice Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Mr. Nguyen Van Thanh - Head of the Committee for Ethnic Minorities and Religions, Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front; Mr. Hoang Ba Hai - Deputy Head of the Department of Religious Affairs, Central Committee for Mass Mobilization; Most Venerable Thich Thanh Nhieu - Permanent Vice President of the Central Executive Council of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha, along with monks, nuns, and Buddhists overseas Vietnamese attending the 2019 Vesak Festival.

At this year's Vesak Festival, there were about 250 overseas Vietnamese monks, nuns, researchers, and outstanding Buddhists from more than 40 countries attending the event. The meeting was an opportunity for overseas Vietnamese and Buddhists to share about the religious practices of overseas Vietnamese communities; express their thoughts and aspirations, as well as propose some contents related to the legal basis for activities and construction of Buddhist worship facilities abroad.

At the meeting, Mr. Hoang Xuan Binh - Chairman of the Vietnamese Business Association in Poland shared about the need to build religious and spiritual facilities in areas where Vietnamese people live in Eastern European countries in particular and Europe in general. He expressed his hope that the Government and the VBS would provide legal support so that the Vietnamese community abroad would have the conditions to build cultural and spiritual centers to meet the needs of religious activities of the Vietnamese community abroad.

Mr. Hoang Xuan Binh - Chairman of the Vietnam Business Association in Poland spoke.

Mr. Binh added that the construction and maintenance of Vietnamese Buddhist pagodas abroad stem from the need to connect the community, and are also places to organize Buddhist events and festivals towards the homeland, contributing to promoting Vietnamese culture to the people of the host country.

Most Venerable Thich Duc Tuan from the US proposed increasing foreign language training for monks and nuns working abroad to help develop Buddhist activities, and at the same time called for greater solidarity among Buddhists at home and abroad.

Buddhist Ha Minh Hien from Poland expressed his wish that the VBS consider and recognize the Vietnamese Buddhist community in some countries, operating under the charter and regulations of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. He also hoped that the Sangha would pay more attention to the Buddhist activities of Vietnamese Buddhist associations abroad that have been licensed to operate religiously by the host country.

Mr. Ha Minh Hien - Buddhist in Poland spoke.

Ms. Ta Pham Bich Thuy - Vietnamese Buddhist in the Czech Republic expressed her gratitude for the help and guidance of the VBS for the Buddhist community in the Czech Republic. The Vietnamese community here has formed an organization and maintained good activities, which are highly appreciated by the local government. This result has a significant contribution from the Association of Vietnamese Buddhists in the Czech Republic.

Ms. Ta Pham Bich Thuy - Vietnamese Buddhist in the Czech Republic spoke.

Mr. Nguyen Hong Cu, a German expatriate, shared the good news about the organization of the 2019 Buddha's Birthday Celebration by Vietnamese expatriates in Frankfurt, Germany, with the participation and congratulations of local authorities.

Mr. Cu said that the fact that overseas Vietnamese do not live in a concentrated area and the regulations for establishing Buddhist temples abroad are not unified has led to the existence of many temples operating separately and ineffectively in a small area.

Representing the VBS, Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien welcomed overseas Buddhists to Vietnam to attend the 2019 Vesak Festival. Receiving opinions on Buddhist activities of Vietnamese Buddhism abroad and the activities of Buddhist associations established by the VBS abroad, the Most Venerable affirmed that Buddhist activities of overseas Vietnamese basically take place in an organized manner, bringing practical benefits to overseas Vietnamese.

Venerable Thich Duc Thien answers overseas Buddhists.

Venerable Thich Duc Thien said that the Church understands and shares the difficulties and obstacles in Buddhist activities of Vietnamese people abroad. He called for the joint efforts and consensus of Buddhists, promoting actions in the spirit of benefiting sentient beings, bringing peace and joy to everyone, for the unified development and prosperity of Vietnamese Buddhism.

Responding to questions about training in language, propagation skills, and rituals for monks and nuns, Most Venerable Thich Duc Thien said that the Church is implementing a plan to meet the requirements of Buddhist work abroad.

Mr. Hoang Thanh Nghi - Vice Chairman of the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese, Ministry of Foreign Affairs highly appreciated the practical contributions of the overseas Vietnamese community in the process of building and developing the country. He affirmed that the State and the Church will continue to coordinate to find solutions to the remaining problems in the Buddhist activities of the overseas Vietnamese community.

Speaking at the meeting, Head of the Executive Committee of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Vu Chien Thang highly appreciated the efforts of Buddhist dignitaries and Buddhists at the overseas branches of the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha. He said that currently, Vietnamese Buddhism is present in 22 countries around the world.

Head of the BTGCP Vu Chien Thang spoke at the meeting.

During visits and working trips abroad, the VBS always prioritizes discussing the religious activities of the Vietnamese community with the local authorities. The Buddhist activities of overseas Vietnamese encounter some difficulties due to differences in laws in different countries, and differences in the operational direction of the VBS and the Buddhism of the host country.

He welcomed the frank opinions of Buddhist delegates at the meeting and affirmed that the BTGCP will continue to discuss with ministries, departments, branches and the VBS to find solutions to remove obstacles to Buddhist activities, meeting the legitimate religious aspirations of the Vietnamese community abroad.

The Vietnamese Government always pays attention to the religious life of people at home and abroad. Religious policy receives special attention from the State to meet the legitimate religious needs of the people, promote national unity, and promote the good values ​​of religions. The Vietnamese State considers religion a resource contributing to the cause of building and defending the Fatherland, and overseas Vietnamese are messengers of solidarity and friendship between Vietnam and the host country.

Head of the Board of Directors Vu Chien Thang