Hanoi, Vietnam - Vietnam has given a strong pro-freedom message at its Communist Party congress, hoping to improve its international image in regard to religious freedom.
Ngo Yen Thi, the government's religious affairs head, told a news conference Monday that socialism did not contravene spirituality, and claimed full religious freedom had arrived in Vietnam, the South China Morning Post reported Tuesday.
Vietnam often has been criticized for religious intolerance since the communists' takeover in 1975. Religious leaders have been jailed, followers harassed and sects banned, though Vietnam consistently has denied allegations of religious persecution, saying it was only upholding the law.
In 2004, the U.S. State Department designated Vietnam a "country of particular concern" on religious freedoms, potentially hampering its bid to join the world economy.
Thi said Vietnam would continue urging Washington to drop its designation, as it aims to join the World Trade Organization this year.
He also signaled a willingness to pursue closer ties with the Vatican, as the two have no diplomatic relations and have clashed often over control of the Catholic Church in Vietnam, which has 6 million followers.