Vietnamese embassies in foreign countries yesterday opened the books of condolence for former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Đỗ Mười, who passed away on October 1.– VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI – Vietnamese embassies in foreign countries yesterday opened the books of condolence for former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam Central Committee Đỗ Mười, who passed away on October 1.

At the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, many Japanese officials and friends expressed their sympathies over the death of the former Party General Secretary.

Among the mourners were Speaker of the House of Representatives Tadamori Oshima, Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives Hirotaka Akamatsu, Deputy Foreign Minister Norikazu Suzuki, Mie prefecture’s Governor Eikei Suzuki, Special Advisor of the Japan-Việt Nam Parliamentary Friendship Alliance Tsutomu Takebe, and Việt Nam-Japan Special Ambassador Sugi Ryotaro.

The Ambassadors of Laos, Thailand, and Bulgaria to Japan also paid tribute to the former Party leader.

Addressing the ceremony, Vietnamese Ambassador to Japan Nguyễn Quốc Cường highlighted the great contributions of the former Party chief to the revolutionary cause of the Vietnamese Party, State, and people.

The former Party leader set a bright example for generations of Vietnamese to follow, he said.

Writing in the funeral book, Deputy Foreign Minister Norikazu Suzuki lauded the former Party General Secretary for his contributions to Việt Nam’s development, as well as his work towards co-operative relations between the two countries.

Also on Friday, the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand held a minute’s silence for former Party General Secretary Đỗ Mười.

Thailand’s former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai was the first to write in the condolence book.

Representatives of overseas Vietnamese in Thailand, as well as ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic missions of Cuba, Singapore, Australia, and Laos paid their last respects to the former leader.

In the Republic of Korea (RoK), Deputy Foreign Minister Cho Hyun; Lee Jae-Hwi, a representative of the ruling Democratic Party; and Lý Thừa Vĩnh (Korean name Lee Seung Young), a representative of the Lý family, paid homage to the former Vietnamese Party chief.

Delegations of foreign embassies in the RoK, including Russia, Laos, Qatar, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Panama, Kazakhstan, the US, the UAE, Cambodia, and the Ivory Coast, also came to the ceremony.

The mourners extended their deep sympathies to the family of the former leader, as well as the Party, State, and people of Việt Nam. The ceremony will last until Saturday.

Việt Nam’s permanent mission to the United Nations held a ceremony to pay tribute to the former Party General Secretary on Thursday.

A minute’s silence was also held and incense offered in his memory. Ambassador Đặng Đình Quý, Head of the Permanent Delegation of Việt Nam to the UN, recalled contributions the leader made during more than 70 years serving the CPV and the country.

Overseas Vietnamese, foreign ambassadors and representatives from delegations to the UN, international organisations in New York and local officials came to the mission’s headquarters to pay respect to the former Vietnamese Party chief.

Leaders send condolences

Leaders of China, Laos, Cambodia have sent their condolences to leaders of the Vietnamese Party, State, Government, National Assembly and the family of former Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Đỗ Mười over his passing. 

In a message to Secretary of the CPV Central Committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and President Xi Jinping hailed Đỗ Mười as an outstanding leader of the Vietnamese Party and State, a close comrade and friend of the Chinese Party and people, who dedicated his life to the cause of renewal and socialism building in Việt Nam and made important contributions to the ties between the two Parties and States. 

He expressed his belief that under the firm leadership of the General Secretary, the CPV, Government and people of Việt Nam will turn sorrow into power, continuing to reap new achievements in the cause of building socialism. China pledges to unceasingly foster the China – Việt Nam traditional friendship, deepen mutually-beneficial co-operation and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership, the message says.

Expressing profound condolences to the CPV Central Committee, the National Assembly, the Government and the Việt Nam Fatherland Front Central Committee; the Central Committee of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party, National Assembly, Government and Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction spoke highly of Đỗ Mười’s huge contributions to national liberation and development over his 80 years of revolutionary career.  

The deceased was lauded for reinforcing great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between the two Parties, States and peoples. 

The Central Committee of the Cambodian People’s Party expressed their wish that Đỗ Mười will rest in peace in a message to the CPV General Secretary. 

In a letter sent to CPVCC General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Raul Castro said he was saddened to learn of the death of the former Party chief.

As a close friend of Cuba, comrade Đỗ Mười had contributed to consolidating the friendship between the two countries, he said.

Raul Castro extended the deepest sympathies to Party General Secretary Trọng and former Party General Secretary Đỗ Mười’s family.

President of Cuba’s Council of State and Council of Ministers Miguel Diaz Canel also cabled condolence messages to Prime Minister Nguyễn Xuân Phúc and Acting President Đặng Thị Ngọc Thịnh.

The Government and people of Cuba always respected Đỗ Mười’s contributions to the development of the long-standing friendship between the two countries, he said.

Myanmar’s State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi expressed her sympathy to PM Phúc while President Win Myint extended condolences to Acting President Thịnh.

They highly valued former Party General Secretary Đỗ Mười’s outstanding leadership and great contributions to advancing the political, economic and social position of Việt Nam in the regional and international arenas.

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai sent messages of sympathy to PM Phúc and Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Phạm Bình Minh.

The Thai leaders praised the former Vietnamese Party chief’s great contributions to Việt Nam’s Đổi Mới (Reform) process, and laying a firm foundation for the strategic partnership between the two countries.

Other condolence messages came from Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, and President of Japan-Việt Nam Friendship Parliamentary Alliance and Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan Toshihiro Nikai to PM Phúc and President of the Việt Nam-Japan Friendship Parliamentarians’ Group and head of the Party Central Committee’s Organisation Commission Phạm Minh Chính.

Deputy PM and FM Minh also received a message from Japanese Foreign Minister Kono Taro.

In their letters, the Japanese leader praised former General Secretary Đỗ Mười as a talented leader who significantly contributed to national development and promoting the Việt Nam-Japan relationship.

In a message to Party General Secretary Trọng, President of the Republic of Korea Moon Jae-in hailed former Party General Secretary Đỗ Mười for his great contributions to the relations between Việt Nam and the RoK, especially the establishment of bilateral diplomatic ties. – VNS