Photo for illustration (lookatvietnam)

The Vietnam Buddhist Shangha (VBS) and the State Committee for Overseas Vietnamese (COV) have signed a cooperation agreement on a programme to meet the demands of Vietnamese expats who wish to practise religion.

The programme, the first of its kind between the VBS and a State agency, was signed by Most Venerable Thich Thanh Tu, Deputy Chairman of the VBS’s Executive Council, and Deputy Minister and Chairman of the COV Nguyen Thanh Son, in Hanoi on July 16.

“This move shows that the Party and the State have trust in the VBS’s activities and respect the freedom of belief of the Vietnamese people both inside and outside of the country,” said Mr Son at the signing ceremony.

Mr Son said the programme is expected to make it easier for more than 4 million overseas Vietnamese to practise religion. The COV and the VBS have made an active contribution to religious programmes over recent years, including those held in Vietnam or overseas trips, to spread the word of Dharma to European countries.

From the beginning of this year, a number of programmes carried out by the committee, with the VBS’s support, have left a deep impression on people both in Vietnam and overseas.

The programme included a requiem for fallen soldiers held on Con Dao Island to mark national liberation day (April 30) and a prayer for peace and stability in the nation and the rest of the world held during the procession of Buddha’s giant jade statue in Phat Tich pagoda, northern Bac Ninh province.

The upcoming event is a grand requiem for fallen soldiers and will be held in central Quang Tri province on War Invalids and Fallen Soldiers Day (July 27).

The committee’s official also said that later this year, Vietnam will hold a grand requiem for Vietnamese volunteers and Laos soldiers who sacrificed their lives in Laos after Laos had suggested the move.

Underlining Buddhism’s link with the nation, the Most Venerable pledged to work with the COV in Buddhist activities, particularly those targeted towards the overseas Vietnamese community.

He stressed that with the Party and the State’s support for, particularly to the holding of the 2008 UN Vesak Day and other Buddhist events in recent times, Vietnam’s Buddhism has extended its influence, not just inside the country but also abroad.

Source: VNA/VOVNews