Vatican and Vietnam to take major step forward in relations

The Vatican and Vietnam are due to take a major step towards improving their long strained relations by finalising a deal in which Hanoi will allow the Holy See to have a resident representative in the communist-run country.
The deal will likely be announced during a visit to the Vatican later this month by Vietnamese President President Vo Van Thuong, according to a senior Vatican official and a Hanoi-based diplomat familiar with the matter.
The Vatican has been asking Hanoi to allow a resident papal representative for more than 10 years. An agreement in principle was reached last year.
Both sources said they expected the president to be received by Pope Francis. It would be the first meeting between the pope and a Vietnamese president since Tran Quang visited in 2016.
There are nearly 7 million Catholics in Vietnam, about 6.6% of the population of 95 million.