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| Version 0 | Version 1 |
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| Vietnam off US religion blacklist | Vietnam off US religion blacklist |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| The United States has removed Vietnam from a list of countries which it says severely violate religious freedom. | The United States has removed Vietnam from a list of countries which it says severely violate religious freedom. |
| The list is published annually by the state department and includes Iran, China, Sudan and North Korea. | |
| Vietnam was removed from the list just days before President George W Bush travels to Vietnam for a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation. | Vietnam was removed from the list just days before President George W Bush travels to Vietnam for a meeting of the Asia Pacific Economic Co-operation. |
| Uzbekistan has been added to the list. The state department says observant Muslims are targeted as extremists. | |
| Regarding Vietnam, the state department said there had been "significant improvements toward advancing religious freedom". | |
| The Vietnamese government released earlier on Monday an American activist whose detention for more than a year on terrorism charges was the cause of diplomatic tension between the two countries. | The Vietnamese government released earlier on Monday an American activist whose detention for more than a year on terrorism charges was the cause of diplomatic tension between the two countries. |
| Correspondents say there has been a US effort to normalise diplomatic and trade relations with Vietnam. |