VZCZCXRO5685
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM
DE RUEHHI #0275/01 0440809
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 130809Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY HANOI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4604
INFO RUEHHM/AMCONSUL HO CHI MINH 2530
RUEHZS/ASEAN REGIONAL FORUM COLLECTIVE
RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN 0016

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 HANOI 000275 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, DRL/IRF, EUR/WE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL KIRF PHUM PGOV HUMANR VM
SUBJECT: PM'S VATICAN VISIT TO BE FOLLOWED BY PAPAL VISIT TO 
VIETNAM, NORMALIZED RELATIONS? 
 
REF: VATICAN 25 
 
HANOI 00000275  001.2 OF 003 
 
 
SUMMARY 
------- 
 
¶1. (SBU) Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung's January 25 visit to the 
Vatican has elicited guarded optimism from Catholics and GVN 
officials alike that both sides are moving closer to normalizing 
diplomatic relations.  Recent efforts by the GVN to upgrade an 
important shrine in southern Vietnam may indicate that they 
anticipate welcoming a Papal visit in the near future.  For their 
part, Catholic officials in Vietnam think a Papal visit, even before 
formal relations are established, would "appropriately reciprocate" 
the PM's Vatican visit, and are working toward that goal.  A 
possible next step is for a planned March Vatican delegation to 
Hanoi to lay the groundwork for a Papal visit in the near- to 
medium-term.  Such a visit would help to further undergird recent 
progress in encouraging greater religious freedom in Vietnam, and we 
should continue to encourage the Vietnamese and the Vatican at all 
levels to make the visit happen.  End Summary. 
 
The PM's Vatican Visit 
---------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dzung met January 25 with Pope 
Benedict XVI and Vatican Prime Minister Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone at 
the Vatican to "exchange political and religious views" (reftel). 
Dr. Do Quang Hung, Director of the influential GVN Academy of Social 
Science's Institute for Research on Religions, told Poloff shortly 
after this first-ever Politburo-level visit to the Vatican that the 
GVN and Vatican have been taking pragmatic steps to achieve full 
diplomatic relations in the three years since the Pope called for 
full normalization in his first foreign policy address. 
Increasingly high-ranking delegations have exchanged visits, 
including the ground-breaking visit of Cardinal Creszencio Sepe to 
Hanoi in December 2005.  The PM's visit should only be seen as 
another step forward in this process, Hung said.  However, at a 
January 29 luncheon hosted by the Ambassador, Hanoi Archbishop Ngo 
Quang Kiet took a more optimistic view. 
 
The Catholics' Perspective 
------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) Kiet noted that conservatives in the Catholic Church had 
urged the Pope not to meet with Dzung because of continued 
restrictions on the Vietnamese Church.  Some conservative members of 
the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) also opposed the meeting on the 
grounds that it might "signal Vietnam's obedience to the Vatican." 
However, most Vietnamese citizens, Catholic or otherwise, were 
pleased by the PM's visit.  Extensive coverage of the meeting led 
Vietnamese news programs for two days, Kiet added. 
 
¶4. (SBU) Kiet stated that the meeting was entirely arranged by the 
GVN; however, the Vietnam Church's Episcopacy Council advised both 
the Vatican and the GVN that they were in favor of the idea. 
Last-minute objections from within the CPV were overcome because 
Vatican representatives (NFI) took the initiative to emphasize their 
interest in establishing formal relations with the GVN.  This led to 
some speculation among Catholics that the meeting may make it 
possible to establish a Vatican liaison office in Hanoi, which 
overcame remaining objections within the Church.  "Basically, both 
sides realized the opposite side was seriously considering 
establishing formal diplomatic relations," Kiet said. 
 
¶5. (SBU) The Ambassador asked if the GVN has offered to return the 
former Papal Nuncio property adjacent to the Hanoi Cathedral. 
(Note:  The Hanoi Archdiocese has sought to recover this property 
for use by the Episcopacy Council for some time.  End Note.)  Kiet 
said that the Church expects the Nuncio property will only be 
returned as part of the "full package" of established relations. 
 
A Papal Visit in the Near Future? 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The Ambassador asked what we should expect from the 
upcoming Vatican delegation to Hanoi in March.  Kiet said that, 
"given the good results of the PM's meeting, we should expect new 
things in March."  "It would be great if the USG continues to 
express to the Vietnamese support for establishing relations between 
the GVN and the Vatican," he added.  The Ambassador noted rumors 
that the GVN has recently committed funds to upgrade the Our Lady of 
Lavang holy site in Quang Tri Province and asked if this indicated 
that a Papal visit is in the offing.  Kiet confirmed that the GVN's 
National Tourism Administration has announced plans to invest in 
support infrastructure for the shrine.  (Note: One stumbling block 
for a Papal visit has been the poor condition of the site, an 
important Marian precinct since the first apparition of the Lady of 
 
HANOI 00000275  002.2 OF 003 
 
 
Lavang was noted in 1798 during a period of Catholic persecution. 
John Paul II announced his intention to visit Vietnam twice in the 
late 1990's and was rebuffed both times by the GVN on the grounds 
that the Lavang site "could not support his visit." 
The Religion Institute's Hung informed Poloff that the GVN has 
decided to quickly upgrade the site with a large tourist 
infrastructure investment.  End Note.) 
 
¶7. (SBU) Kiet further stated that, in his recent meetings with GVN 
officials, many senior leaders said "it is about time to invite the 
Pope to Vietnam."  The Archbishop was careful to note, however, that 
these GVN officials may have been "overly optimistic" about the 
prospect of a visit in the near future.  Nevertheless, Church 
leaders think that a Papal visit this year would appropriately 
reciprocate the PM's Vatican visit and could come before formal 
diplomatic relations are established.  "It depends now mainly on 
what the GVN is willing to accept," Kiet added. 
 
The GVN's View 
-------------- 
 
¶8. (SBU) On February 2, the MFA's Europe II Department Director 
Nguyen Manh Dzung briefed diplomats on the GVN's official assessment 
of the PM's Vatican visit.  Dzung stated that during the meeting the 
Pope expressed his appreciation for the expansion of religious 
freedom policies and thanked the GVN for allowing the development of 
the religious life of the Catholic community in Vietnam.  The Pope 
expressed happiness regarding the increase in the number of priests 
and churchgoers.  Cardinal Bertone also told the PM that the Church 
considers Vietnam "an example of religious freedom," especially in 
the way it allows the combination of religious and social 
activities.  Bertone told the PM that the GVN and the Vatican "need 
to try to go further to achieve full normalization."  PM Dzung took 
note of the Pope's and Cardinal's suggestions and has instructed the 
MFA to discuss the details further, Director Dzung added. 
 
¶9. (SBU) Regarding the Vatican delegation visit in March, Director 
Dzung stated that "the visit is based on one of three points in a 
1990 agreement between the Vatican and GVN," which established de 
facto relations between the two parties.  Point three of the 
agreement establishes that there will be annual delegations from the 
Vatican, headed by the Vatican's Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. 
The March visit should be seen in this framework; however, the visit 
will focus on developing GVN-Vatican relations, Dzung said.  (Note: 
Point one of the agreement requires that the Church consult with the 
GVN regarding the nomination of bishops and priests in some 
localities.  Point two establishes that neither side will use the 
media to spread propaganda against the other.  End Note.) 
 
¶10. (SBU) When pressed, Dzung stated that the PM will soon release a 
statement about normalization of relations with the Vatican; 
however, the PM will likely call for "adequate steps and goodwill on 
both sides."  Director Dzung would not comment on the timing of 
normalization, but stated that "maybe in the framework of the March 
visit, there will be further meetings that will result in a definite 
timeframe."  Concrete actions on the relationship will begin soon, 
as the PM only just gave the instruction to explore the issue, Dzung 
said. 
 
Context for Normalization 
------------------------- 
 
¶11. (SBU) Dzung noted that the GVN's decision to normalize relations 
with the Vatican will be a wholly internal decision.  It will not be 
influenced by China's relations with the Vatican, as the range of 
Vietnam-Vatican relations in the past is substantively different 
from Vatican-Chinese relations, not least because the Catholic 
community "still exists in Vietnam."  As can be expected, 
normalization will result in an exchange of ambassadors.  The GVN 
currently communicates with the Vatican through its ambassador in 
Rome.  When in Hanoi, Vatican envoys meet with the VFM and Party 
Foreign Relations Commission, Dzung said. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶12. (SBU) It is clear that the PM's visit to the Vatican was a major 
step forward in GVN-Vatican relations.  Whether the visit sets the 
stage for a rapid normalization of relations between the two parties 
remains to be seen. Nevertheless, a possible next step is for the 
planned March Vatican delegation to Hanoi to lay the groundwork for 
a Papal visit to Vietnam, perhaps before the establishment of formal 
relations.  Such a visit would be highly symbolic and would help 
cement the successes the international community has had in 
encouraging greater religious freedom in Vietnam.  We should 
continue to encourage the Vietnamese and the Vatican at all levels 
to make the visit happen. 
 
HANOI 00000275  003.2 OF 003 
 
 
 
ALOISI