Int’l friends console Vietnam over Party Chief’s passing

Top leaders of countries and organizations have extended their condolences, as follows:

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in Hanoi in October 2022. Photo: Hai Nguyen

Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesperson for the United Nations Secretary-General, said that the Secretary-General extends his deep condolences to Mr. Trong’s family and the Government and people of Vietnam. "Mr. Trong was a pivotal figure in Vietnam’s recent history, having held the position of President from 2018 to 2021 and concurrently serving as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam since 2011. During his tenure, Vietnam continued its remarkable development journey to emerge as one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and an important partner for the United Nations."

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong and US President Joe Biden in Washington, D.C. in 2015. Photo: US Department of State

US President Joe Biden said the United States and he personally “honor his legacy and mourn his passing alongside the people of Vietnam” and “will remember and appreciate his commitment to reconciliation and to building a future oriented toward peace, stability, and prosperity in the region and around the world.”

He went on to say: General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was a champion of the deep ties between the American and Vietnamese people whose leadership helped nurture the friendship and partnership our countries enjoy today. His 2015 historic visit to the White House was a milestone in our bilateral relationship. Thanks to his vision, during my 2023 state visit to Hanoi, Vietnam and the United States became “comprehensive strategic partners,” the highest level of partnership in the Vietnamese system.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Hanoi in September 2016. Photo: VNA

India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted on X (Twitter): “Saddened by the news of the passing away of the Vietnamese leader, General Secretary H.E. Nguyen Phu Trong. We pay our respects to the departed leader. Extend our deepest condolences and stand in solidarity with the people and leadership of Vietnam in this hour of grief.”

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Hanoi in June 2024. Photo: VNA

Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent his condolences to Vietnamese President To Lam. "Nguyen Phu Trong's entire life was dedicated to serving his homeland. Throughout his years of service in senior positions in the government and the Party, he earned enormous respect from his compatriots and a remarkable reputation in the international arena. In Russia, he will always be remembered as a true friend of our country who made a huge personal contribution to the establishment and development of a comprehensive strategic partnership between Moscow and Hanoi," said the telegram posted on the Kremlin website.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, Chairman of the State Council and the Council of Ministers of Cuba, Raul Castro Ruz in 2018. Photo: VNA

The condolence message from Army General Raúl Castro Ruz and the First Secretary of the Party and President of Cuba, Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez, to Vietnamese President To Lam reads: ‘Our dear friend Trong will be remembered by successive generations of Cubans as a pillar of our eternal friendship and a great brother, always ready to extend a helping hand in the face of the most complex challenges.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio in Hanoi in May 2022. Photo: Nhat Bac/VGP

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio sent a letter of condolence to Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on behalf of the Government and people of Japan, expressing his deepest condolences to the Government and people of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam and to the bereaved family. Prime Minister Kishida also expressed his sincere respect for General Secretary Trong’s significant contributions to Japan-Vietnam relations, noting that General Secretary Trong had demonstrated great leadership in building close cooperation between Japan and Vietnam as comprehensive strategic partners in a wide range of fields.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Hanoi in December 2023. Photo: VNA

The Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, in its condolence message, said the CPC and the Chinese people lost a good comrade, a good brother and a good friend. “Trong and General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping have jointly elevated China-Vietnam relations to a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance and vigorously promoted the continuous development of China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.”