HÀ NỘI — Memorial services for late President Trần Đại Quang were  held in Hà Nội, HCM City and the President’s home province of Ninh Binh this morning.

Among leaders attending the service held at the National Funeral Hall at No 5 Trần Thánh Tông Street, Hà Nội, were General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, Nguyễn Phú Trọng, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, Acting President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh and Permanent Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình, along with many former leaders of the Party, State, National Assembly, Government and a high-level delegation of the Lao Party and State led by Politburo member and Vice President Phankham Viphavanh.

Delivering the funeral oration, Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng emphasized the great contributions that President Trần Đại Quang had made to the Party and the nation’s revolutionary cause and to people’s happiness in his various capacity as a member of the Party Central Committee’s Politburo, President of the Socialist Republic of Việt Nam, Chairman of the Council of Defence and Security, head of the central steering committee for judicial reform, a National Assembly deputy, and other positions.

The Party leader said over more than 45 years of his career, Quang’s life and work had been closely associated with the public security sector and the cause of building and defending the socialist Việt Nam.

As a Politburo member, Secretary of the Central Public Security Party Committee, Minister of Public Security and deputy of the 13th National Assembly, Trần Đại Quang, together with the Central Public Security Party Committee and the leadership of the Ministry of Public Security, led and instructed the institutionalisation of the Resolution of the 11th Party Congress, the Political Programme on national construction in the period of transition to socialism in the field of security.

His work as the chief of the people’s public security forces contributed to maintaining national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, serving well the country’s socio-economic development and external relations.

Since the 11th session of the 13th NA in April 2016, as a Politburo member and State President, Trần Đại Quang and other Party and State leaders led the Party, the nation and the military in effectively carrying out resolutions of the Party, the National Assembly, while exercising his authority as President, Chairman of the Council of Defence and Security, and head of the central steering committee for judicial reform.

President Trần Đại Quang’s family walk past the coffin at the memorial service.— VNA/VNS Photo

His work has contributed to promoting the Đổi mới (renewal) cause, developing the socialist-oriented market economy, expanding external relations and international integration, strengthening national defence-security, maintaining political and social stability and enhancing Việt Nam’s role, position and prestige in the international arena.

General Secretary Trọng said as one of the key leaders of the Party and State, Trần Đại Quang always demonstrated a high sense of responsibility and discipline, protected the party’s unity and solidarity, and always put the interests of the Party and the nation first. He was respected and loved by comrades and the people, and respected by international friends.

The Party leader offered the deepest condolences to the family of President Trần Đại Quang over their great loss.

Quang’s eldest son Trần Quân expressed thanks to incumbent and former leaders of the Party, State, Government, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front, officials of agencies, organisations, local administrations, foreign officials, the people as well as relatives for their sympathies.  

The President’s coffin, wrapped in the national flag, was then moved out of the National Funeral Hall to be taken to Ninh Bình.

The burial service will be held at 15:30 today at his home village in Quang Thiện Commune, Kim Sơn District, Ninh Binh Province.

On September 26 and 27, a total of 1,658 delegations with around 50,000 persons representing various organisations and sectors, including 164 international delegations among them 16 led by high-level officials, have paid homage to President Trần Đại Quang at three sites in Hà Nội, HCM City and Ninh Binh. Many other international friends have sent condolences. — VNS