A spokeswoman for the Vietnamese Foreign Ministry described the meeting between a delegation of the US House of Representatives and Vietnamese Buddhist Thich Quang Do, as an "unfriendly gesture."

Answering a question by Radio "The Voice of Vietnam" about the meeting between the delegation of the US House of Representatives led by Edward Royce, Vice Chairman of the House Sub-committee for Asia-Pacific, and Thich Quang Do during the former's Vietnam visit from January 13 to 17, Vietnamese Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Phan Thuy Thanh said:

"The delegation had working sessions with the External Relations Commission of the Vietnamese National Assembly. The delegation's official working schedule did not include the meeting with Thich Quang Do."

If the meeting did take place, it was the delegation's separate activity, the spokeswoman added.

She noted: "We think it an activity advisably not to be taken by an official delegation. It can be considered as an unfriendly gesture."