How to carry out the ceremony of reception of the Head of State on a state visit according to the latest regulations of Vietnam?
What is the ceremony of reception of the Head of State on a state visit?
According to the provisions at point a clause 6 Article 3 of Decree 18/2022/ND-CP of Vietnam (effective on April 10, 2022) on the definition of state visit as follows:
"Article 3. Interpretation of terms
For the purpose of this Decree, the following terms shall be construed as follows:
…
6. “State visits”, “official visits”, “working visits”, "unannounced visits”, “private visits" are titles of visits of high-ranking foreign guests, indicating the nature and extent of the visit:
a) “State visit” is a visit with the highest extent of state ceremonies for a Head of a guest nation who is also the Head of the Governing Party and the guest of the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; a Head of a guest nation who is the guest of the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam;”
How to carry out the ceremony of reception of the Head of State on a state visit according to the latest regulations of Vietnam?
What are the principles for carrying out the ceremony of reception of the Head of State on a state visit?
According to the provisions of Article 4 of Decree 18/2022/ND-CP of Vietnam (effective on April 10, 2022) on the principles for carrying out the ceremony of reception of the Head of State on a state visit:
“Article 4. Principles of organizing diplomatic ceremonies
1. The presiding agency organizing diplomatic ceremonies shall comply with regulations of the Constitution and the law of Vietnam as well as the international laws and practices.
2. The organization of diplomatic ceremonies shall be uniformly performed in the entire political system including agencies of the Communist Party and the State, serving political and diplomatic requirements of the Communist Party and the State and affirming the leading position and role of the Vietnam Communist Party regarding the political system of Vietnam.
3. The presiding agency shall propose measures of diplomatic ceremonies on the basis of equality and reciprocity; focus on handling differences between the political system, practice, and culture of Vietnam with the political system, practice, and culture of the guest nation.
4. Special cases shall have their separate plans; competent authorities shall decide the approval of such plans.”
How to carry out the ceremony of reception of the Head of State on a state visit?
According to the provisions of Article 6 of Decree 18/2022/ND-CP of Vietnam (effective on April 10, 2022), the ceremony of reception of the Head of State on a state visit is carried out as follows:
"Article 6. Reception of the Head of State on a state visit
1. Airport greeters:
a) Composition: Head of the President’s Office or escorting Minister, Vietnamese Ambassador in the guest nation, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hanoi city, Director of Directorate of State Protocol, Director of Department of Foreign Affairs of the President’s Office, and Director of the Regional Affairs Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs;
b) Protocol:
Roll out a red carpet from the base of the airplane stairs to the parking place of the vehicle of the Head of State of the guest nation;
Arrange honour guard formations on two sides of the red carpet from the base of the airplane stairs to the parking place of the vehicle of the Head of State of the guest nation;
Gift flowers to the Head of State of the guest nation and his/her spouse;
Allow the representative community of the guest nation to come to the airport and greet the delegation if the foreign representative mission requests.
2. State-level welcome ceremony:
a) The President of Vietnam shall preside over the welcome ceremony;
b) Composition: The spouse of the President of Vietnam (if the spouse of the Head of State also accompanies him/her), Deputy Prime Minister, Vice-president of the National Assembly, Head of the President’s Office or escorting Minister, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hanoi city, Vietnamese Ambassador in the guest nation; heads of ministries or central authorities corresponding to the composition of the guest delegation and requirements of the reception.
c) Reception protocol:
The President of Vietnam and his/her spouse shall receive the Head of State of the guest nation and his/her spouse at the parking place of the vehicle of the Head of State of the guest nation;
Children gift flowers to the Head of State of the guest nation and his/her spouse;
Children wave flags of both nations;
d) Reviewing protocol of the Honour Squad of the People’s Army of Vietnam:
The President of Vietnam and the Head of State of the guest nation shall step on the honour podium; the spouse of the President of Vietnam and spouse of the Head of State of the guest nation shall be invited to the front row of Vietnamese officials;
The military band shall play the national anthem melody of the guest nation and Vietnam; 21 rounds of cannons shall be fired while the national anthem melodies are being played on the basis of reciprocity or according to the approved plan;
Captain of the Honour Squad of the People's Army of Vietnam shall greet, report, and invite the Head of State of the guest nation to review the Honour Squad;
The President of Vietnam and the Head of State of the guest nation shall review the Honour Squad together;
The Honour Squad shall wish the Head of State of the guest nation good health;
The President of Vietnam shall introduce the Vietnamese officials attending the welcome ceremony to the Head of State of the guest nation and his/her spouse. The Head of State of the guest nation shall introduce official members of the delegation to the President of Vietnam and his/her spouse;
The Director of Directorate of State Protocol shall introduce some Ambassadors (if invited) to the Head of State of the guest nation, the President of Vietnam and their spouse;
The President of Vietnam and the Head of State of the guest nation shall return to the honour podium. The spouse of the President of Vietnam and the spouse of the Head of State of the guest nation shall be invited to the position behind the honour podium;
The Honour Squad shall start the marching;
dd) After the welcome ceremony, the President of Vietnam and his/her spouse shall take pictures with the Head of State of the guest nation and his/her spouse;
The President of Vietnam and the Head of State of the guest nation shall go to the small-meeting room or the state-level meeting room. The spouse of the President of Vietnam shall separately receive the spouse of the Head of State of the guest nation;
Arrange honour guard formations in the main hall;
e) In case of inconvenient weather, the official welcome ceremony will be held at the National Assembly House. Cannons shall not be fired during the national anthem melodies of both nations. The Honour Squad shall not perform the marching after the review.
3. Small meeting and state-level meeting:
a) The President of Vietnam and the Head of State of the guest nation shall have a small meeting before the state-level meeting according to the agreement of both parties;
b) The President of Vietnam and the Head of State of the guest nation shall preside over the meeting together;
c) The composition of Vietnamese participants corresponds with the official composition of the guest delegation and requirements of the meeting content;
d) During the small meeting and state-level meeting, there must be honour guards arranged.
4. High-ranking reception:
Arrange the high-ranking reception of the Head of State of the guest nation with the General Secretary, Prime Minister, President of the National Assembly, and other leaders according to specific requests and conditions of the visit.
5. State banquet:
a) The President of Vietnam shall preside over the banquet;
b) Roll out a carpet from the entrance of the banquet room to the parking place of the vehicle of the Head of State of the guest nation; Arrange honour guard formations in the main hall; and arrange guarding honour guards;
c) Participants:
Vietnamese side: the spouse of the President of Vietnam (if the spouse of the Head of State of the guest nation accompanies him/her), Prime Minister, President of the National Assembly, President of the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court, Chief Procurator of the Supreme People’s Procuracy, members of the Government, Chairman of the People’s Committee of Hanoi city, President of Vietnam Union of Friendship Organizations, President of the Friendship Association of Vietnam and the guest nation, President of Friendship Parliamentary Group of Vietnam and the guest nation, members who participate in the state-level welcome ceremony and meeting, former Vietnamese Ambassadors in the guest country, and special individuals or representatives of the enterprise that have many cooperation with the guest nation;
Vietnamese participants invited to the state banquet shall correspond with the composition of the guest delegation and political requirements of the visit;
Guest side: official members, servants, representatives of enterprises (if any) and a number of diplomats of foreign diplomatic missions of the guest nation;
d) Protocol:
The military band shall play the national anthem melody of the guest nation and Vietnam at the start of the banquet;
The President of Vietnam shall give a welcome speech;
The Head of State of the guest nation shall respond to the speech;
dd) Organization of welcome art performances at the banquet.
6. The see-off delegation at the airport: same as when welcoming.
7. Other special measures that can be performed according to the reception protocol plan: mobilizing people to participate in the welcome ceremony at the airport or the Presidential Palace; inviting the President of Vietnam and his/her spouse to participate in a number of official activities with the Head of State of the guest nation and his/her spouse; inviting a number of Ambassadors to participate in the state-level welcome ceremony and state banquet; organizing welcome art performances at the Hanoi Opera House."
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