The convoy of hearse of late President Trần Đại Quang is on the Nguyễn Chí Thanh Street in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

NINH BÌNH — A burial service for President Trần Đại Quang was held at his hometown in Quang Thiện Commune, Kim Sơn District, in the northern province of Ninh Bình on Thursday.

Attending the ceremony were Politburo member and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyễn Thị Kim Ngân, former Politburo member and former President Nguyễn Minh Triết, Politburo member and permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Trần Quốc Vượng, Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình, acting President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh, leaders and former leaders of the Party and State, representatives from mass organisations, localities, armed forces and citizens.

Leaders and former leaders of the Party, State, Việt Nam Fatherland Front, comrades, compatriots and the President’s family observed a minute’s silence to pay their last respects to him.

On behalf of the funeral organising board and the President’s family, permanent Deputy Prime Minister and head of the board Trương Hòa Bình expressed thanks to mourners for attending the tribute-paying and burial service for the leader, seeing him off to his final resting place.

A burial service for President Trần Đại Quang took place in his hometown in Ninh Bình Province on Thursday. — VNA/VNS Photo

International friends share grief over President Quang’s death

Many foreign leaders, officials and international friends have continued share in the grief of the Vietnamese people over the passing of President Trần Đại Quang, and expressed their respect for the Vietnamese leader.

Chairman of the Council of the Republic of Belarus Mikhail Myasnikovich wrote in the funeral guest book that President Quang will be in the heart of Belarusian people forever. He acknowledged the great contribution that the President made to developing bilateral ties between Belarus and Việt Nam.

UN Resident Coordinator and UNDP Resident Representative in Việt Nam Kamal Malhotra said President Quang had strongly backed multilateralism, and worked to enhance Việt Nam’s role in peacekeeping operations and the UN 2030 Agenda.

Writing in the book of condolences, Chief Representative of the UNESCO Office in Việt Nam Michael Croft noted President Quang had persistently backed the popularisation of Vietnamese culture to the world.

Under his leadership and support, ties between UNESCO and Việt Nam have borne fruit, he wrote.

Affirming the President as a great friend of the US, US Ambassador to Việt Nam Daniel Kritenbrink said his reception for President Donald Trump during the latter’s visit to Việt Nam in November 2017 helped elevate US-Việt Nam relations to a new height.

Indian Ambassador to Việt Nam Parvathaneni Harish also wrote in the funeral book that the President’s death is a huge loss to not only the Vietnamese Government and people, but also the Indian government and people.

The President’s contributions to consolidating the Việt Nam-India partnership will be remembered forever, he said.

Earlier, after learning about the Vietnamese leader’s passing on September 21, leaders of many countries and organisations cabled messages of sympathy to the Vietnamese Party, State, Government and people as well as the President’s family.

Many messages emphasised the role of President Quang in Việt Nam’s external affairs, helping advance the country’s position and prestige internationally.

In a message of condolences to the Acting President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh, following the death of President Trần Đại Quang, Moroccan king Mohammed VI said he learnt with deep sorrow the news of the death of the President.

"In this painful time, the Sovereign expressed his heartfelt condolences and sincere compassion to the Vietnamese acting president, the family of the deceased and the Vietnamese people," writes the message. 

Leaders of other countries also sent letters and messages of condolences to the leaders of the Vietnamese Party, State and people, and the family of President Quang.
They included Australian Governor-General Peter Cosgrove and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Sultan of Oman Qaboos Bin Said Al Said, President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, President of Tajikistan Emomali Rahmon, President of Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President Arif Alvi and Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan, Governor-General Patsy Reddy and Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern of New Zealand, Speaker of the Parliament of Iran Ali Ardeshir Larijani, Slovak President Andrej Kiska, President of Ireland Michael Daniel Higgins, and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al Sisi.

Condolences also came from the leaders of the Communist Party of Peru – Red Fatherland, the Communist Party of Uruguay, the Movement of Popular Participation of Uruguay, the Dominican Revolutionary Party, and the India-Vietnam Solidarity Committee. — VNS