Foreign leaders send sympathies to Vietnam over passing of Party chief

Leaders of countries and international organizations have sent their sympathies to Vietnam over the passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

The Party Central Committee, State President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, the Vietnamese people and the Party chief’s family have received condolences from Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin; India’s President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi; General Secretary of the Workers' Party of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) Kim Jong Un; President of the Republic of Korea Yoon Suk Yeol; US President Joe Biden; Prime Minister and President of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party of Japan Kishida Fumio; Governor-General of Australia Sam Mostyn, and the country’s Senate President Sue Lines, and House of Representatives Speaker Milton Dick; and UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, and President of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis.

On behalf of the Government and people of Thailand, PM Srettha Thavisin sent his profound condolences to the Government and people of Vietnam and the Party General Secretary's family for this great loss.

He expressed his admiration for the leader’s important and exemplary contributions to the cause of nation building and development, as well as to the strengthening of Thailand-Vietnam relations, especially the declaration on the upgrading of the two countries' relationship to a strategic partnership on the occasion of the Party chief's historic visit to Thailand in 2013.

The Indian leaders expressed their respect for the life and career of General Secretary Trong. They affirmed that they will stand side by side with the leaders and people of Vietnam and the Party chief’s family during this painful period.

General Secretary of the Workers' Party of the DPRK Kim Jong Un affirmed that General Secretary Trong devoted his whole life to the struggle for the development of the Vietnamese Party and State and the happiness of the Vietnamese people; and spent a lot of efforts on strengthening and developing the friendship and cooperation between the two countries, in accordance with the spirit of the agreement reached at the summit talks in March 2019 in Hanoi.

He emphasised that Trong’s merits will remain forever in the revolutionary history of the Vietnamese people as well as the friendly relations between the two countries.

In his message, RoK President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed his sincere condolences to the family of the Party leader and the people of Vietnam for the loss of a respected leader. He affirmed that the achievements and wishes of the General Secretary for the brilliant development of Vietnam and for the deeper friendship and collaboration between Vietnam and the Republic of Korea will forever remain in the minds of the two peoples.

In his statement on the passing of the Vietnamese Party leader, US President Joe Biden affirmed that 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 the two 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. The people of Vietnam and the United States – and people across the Indo-Pacific region – enjoy greater security and opportunity today because of the friendship between our two countries. That is thanks to him,” he wrote.

“The United States – and I personally – 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. We honor his legacy and mourn his passing alongside the people of Vietnam,” Biden added.

In his message of condolences, Japanese PM Kishida Fumio asserted that the exchanges of opinions with the General Secretary during their meetings have become unforgettable memories for him. He also showed his deepest gratitude for Trong's great contributions to promoting the Japan-Vietnam relationship in various fields.

In their letters, the Australian leaders appreciated the affection and sincerity that Party leader Trong devoted to the relations between Vietnam and Australia, especially in upgrading the bilateral relationship to a comprehensive strategic partnership. They emphasised that Vietnamese Party chief's great contributions to the cause of building and developing a peaceful and prosperous Vietnam will always be remembered by the international community.

They also affirmed that they would continue to attach importance to cultivating "strategic trust" in the Vietnam-Australia relationship as desired by the General Secretary.

Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres stressed that as Vietnam's Party chief since 2011, Trong was a leader with a key role in Vietnam's contemporary history. Under his leadership, Vietnam continues its strong development path to become one of the world's leading fast-growing economies and an important partner of the UN.

UNGA President Dennis Francis praised Trong as a dedicated leader who devoted himself to his country for more than a decade.

Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Sok Chenda Sophea, Indonesian Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi, Thai Foreign Minister Maris Sangiampongsa, and Japanese Foreign Minister Kamikawa Yoko also sent their condolences to Vietnamese Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son.