THE PRIME MINISTER OF GOVERNMENT
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SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF VIET NAM
Independence - Freedom - Happiness
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No. 03/2005/CT-TTg
Hanoi, February 25, 2005
 
DIRECTIVE
ON ENHANCING THE STATE MANAGEMENT OVER MARRIAGE AND FAMILY RELATIONS INVOLVING FOREIGN ELEMENTS
On July 10, 2002, the Government issued Decree No. 68/2002/ND-CP detailing the implementation of a number of articles of the Marriage and Family Law on marriage and family relations involving foreign elements. After more than two years' implementation of the Decree, the establishment of marriage and family relations between Vietnamese citizens and foreigners has seen many positive changes as compared with the past, which suited the context of expanding ties between Vietnam and foreign countries.
However, marriages between Vietnamese women and foreigners still see some problems as follows:
In some provinces or centrally-run cities, many cases of marriage between Vietnamese women and foreigners, especially Taiwanese, have been conducted hastily, ignoring the principle of voluntary and progressive marriage; or Vietnamese women have illegally crossed borders to live like husbands and wives with citizens of neighboring countries without making marriage registrations.
Marriage intermediation activities for self-seeking purposes by some organizations and individuals have occurred in various disguised and sophisticated forms, thus causing social disorder. In many cases, marriages through brokerage have damaged the honor and dignity of Vietnamese women, seriously disrupted the nation's fine traditions and customs, and badly affected the national reputation.
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