US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken offers incense to the Party leader. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

HÀ NỘI On Saturday evening, at the residence of General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng on Thiền Quang Street, Hà Nội, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, along with a US delegation sent by President Biden, visited to offer incense and express condolences to General Secretary Trọng's spouse Ngô Thị Mận and his family.

Blinken conveyed President Joe Biden's condolences to Mận and the family on the passing of General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, emphasising that the leaders and officials of the US government, as well as President Biden himself, always regarded General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng as a friend and trusted partner. Under his vision and leadership, the friendship and relations between the two countries were nurtured and developed robustly, reaching the highest level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership today.

Highlighting General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng as a model for reconciliation between the two countries and a builder of bridges between their peoples, Secretary Blinken affirmed that President Biden, the US government, and the American people would always remember and honour his legacy with fond memories of his significant contributions to the historical cooperation between the two nations.

On behalf of the family, Mận expressed her heartfelt appreciation for the kind sentiments from the US , President Biden, and Secretary Blinken towards the General Secretary. She shared that during his lifetime, the General Secretary was dedicated to fostering the Việt Nam-US relationship. He and President Biden issued a joint declaration upgrading Việt Nam-US relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2023. Mận believed that both sides will continue to effectively implement the Việt Nam-US Joint Declaration of September 2023 to further enhance and deepen the cooperation between the two countries for the benefit of their peoples.

On this occasion, Mận extended her sincere thanks and best wishes for health to President Biden, First Lady Jill Biden, and their families.

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken expresses sympathy to the Party leader's spouse Ngô Thị Mận. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken writes condolences in the funeral book for the Party leader. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

The Party leader's spouse Ngô Thị Mận talks with US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken. — VNA/VNS Photo Trí Dũng

US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken's note on the condolence book for  Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng. — VNA/VNS Photo

From July 24 to 26, the Vietnamese Embassy in the US welcomed over 100 delegations who came to pay respects and wrote in the condolence book for Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng. These delegations included representatives of diplomatic corps, international organisations, business associations, major groups, and the overseas Vietnamese community.

Notable attendees included US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, who came on behalf of US President Joe Biden, and Assistant Secretary of State Kritenbrink.

On this occasion, the US media widely covered the General Secretary's career, his "bamboo diplomacy" thought, and his contributions to bilateral ties. — VNS