Regulations on Flying Foreign Flags During Reception of Foreign Guests

1. General Provisions:

Only hoist the national flag of foreign countries; the United Nations flag or the flag of intergovernmental international organizations, inter-parliamentary organizations alongside the national flag of Vietnam.

Only hoist the national flag of foreign countries when the respective country has established official diplomatic relations with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam.

For visits of high-level leaders from local foreign regions, only hoist the flag of the visiting locality (if present and requested by the guest) alongside the national flag of Vietnam and the national flag of the visiting country.

When hoisting the national flag of Vietnam alongside the national flag of a guest country or the United Nations flag, or the flag of any intergovernmental international organization or inter-parliamentary organization: the national flag of Vietnam is to the right, while the guest country's national flag or the United Nations flag, or the flag of any intergovernmental international organization or inter-parliamentary organization is to the left as viewed from outside or from below.

In the case where the visiting locality has a local flag and the guest requests the hoisting of the local flag during the visit, the flags are to be hoisted as follows: the Vietnamese national flag in the middle, the guest country's national flag on the left, and the visiting locality's flag on the right as viewed from outside or from below.

In reception rooms with a statue or a framed photo of President Ho Chi Minh, the flags are to be hoisted as follows: the statue or framed photo of President Ho Chi Minh is at the center; to the right is the national flag of Vietnam; to the left in sequence from the center outward are the guest country's national flag followed by the visiting locality's flag (if present and requested by the guest) as viewed from below.

2. In case of receiving members of foreign royal families; high-level leaders from local foreign regions; leaders of ministries, departments, agencies, committees of foreign parliaments; leaders of inter-governmental international organizations, inter-parliamentary organizations, United Nations-affiliated organizations and equivalent or higher-level leaders on official visits to the local area:

Hoist the national flag of Vietnam, the national flag of foreign countries, the United Nations flag, the flag of intergovernmental international organizations, inter-parliamentary organizations, and the visiting locality's flag (if present and requested by the guest) at suitable locations according to diplomatic requirements, the space of the event venue, the local conditions, and the reception program: welcoming ceremonies (outdoor at the ceremony venue), the accommodation of the Head of the delegation, and in various rooms: courtesy meeting rooms of the provincial leaders, negotiation rooms during working meetings with provincial leaders, press rooms, banquet rooms chaired by the provincial leaders, and place the national flag of Vietnam and the national flag of the foreign country or flag of the international organization in smaller sizes (desk flag) on negotiation tables and agreement-signing tables between the two parties.

3. In case of receiving the deputy authorities of high-level leaders from local foreign regions and equivalent levels working in the local area:

Hoist the national flag of Vietnam, the national flag of foreign countries, and the visiting locality's flag (if present and requested by the guest) at suitable locations according to diplomatic requirements, the space of the event venue, the local conditions, and the reception program: negotiation rooms, courtesy meeting rooms of the provincial leaders, and place the national flag of Vietnam and the national flag of the foreign country in smaller sizes (desk flag) on negotiation tables and agreement-signing tables between the two parties.

4. In case of receiving Ambassadors, Consul Generals, and Heads of representative offices of United Nations organizations and inter-governmental international organizations in Vietnam for courtesy calls on provincial leaders or visits and work in the local area:

Adapt the reception program, diplomatic protocol practices, and local conditions to place the national flag of Vietnam and the guest countries' national flag, the United Nations flag, or the flag of intergovernmental international organizations in smaller sizes (desk flag) on tables during courtesy meetings with provincial leaders, negotiation meetings with provincial leaders, and agreement signing between the local area and the foreign representative offices in Vietnam.

5. In case of receiving leaders of departments, sectors, and districts from foreign localities; leaders of agencies under ministries, departments, agencies, committees of foreign parliaments, United Nations-affiliated organizations, intergovernmental international organizations, inter-parliamentary organizations, and equivalent levels; members of foreign representative offices in Vietnam, and leaders, representatives of foreign organizations that are foreign partners of provincial and district-level organizations for visits and work in the local area:

Adapt to the diplomatic protocol practices and actual local conditions in organizing receptions; if there is an agreement signing between provincial departments and authorities, districts from foreign localities; agencies under ministries, departments, agencies, committees of foreign parliaments; agencies under United Nations-affiliated organizations, intergovernmental international organizations, inter-parliamentary organizations; foreign representative offices in Vietnam and the local area, national flags of Vietnam and foreign countries or the United Nations flag, intergovernmental international organizations, inter-parliamentary organizations in smaller sizes (desk flag) may be placed on the signing tables.

If the inviting association and partner organization have their own flags (and the guest requests), place the association's flag and the visiting organization's flag in smaller sizes (desk flag) on the working tables and agreement-signing tables between the two parties.

6. In case of receiving foreign guests attending events organized by the local area:

Hoist the national flag of Vietnam, the national flag of foreign countries, the flags of international organizations, flags of foreign localities, and flags of foreign organizations according to Vietnamese regulations, the provisions in Section 1. General Provisions, and conform to diplomatic protocol practices, and the established protocols or precedents for organizing that event.

If there are no specific regulations or precedents for displaying flags during that event, the province should seek the opinion of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (State Protocol Department) on hoisting flags of foreign countries, international organizations, foreign localities, and foreign organizations participating in the event and the order of flags when hoisting.

Source: Dong Nai Provincial Department of Foreign Affairs

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