Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez announced a state mourning in commemoration of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, who passed away at 1:38 pm on July 19, 2024 in Hanoi.

The Latin American country will officially observe a mourning from 6:00 am on July 20 to midnight on July 21, while the state mourning will run from 6:00 am to midnight on July 22, according to a post on Saturday on the Facebook page of the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam.

On Friday, First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba Central Committee and President of Cuba Miguel Díaz-Canel Bermúdez expressed his deepest condolences to the family of Party General Secretary Trong and the Vietnamese people.

The National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba paid a minute's silence in memory of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during its sitting on July 19, 2024 (local time). Photo: Facebook of the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam

The National Assembly of People's Power of Cuba paid a minute's silence in memory of Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong during its sitting on Friday (local time), according to the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam.

Besides Cuba, embassies of China, the U.S., South Korea, Australia, France, and many other countries in Vietnam have offered condolences over the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong.

As Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong passed away, the Communist Party of China and the Chinese people lost a good comrade, a good brother, a good friend. They send their deepest condolences and most sincere regards to the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV), the government and people of Vietnam, according to a post on the Facebook page of the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam.

They affirmed that the Vietnamese Party leader was a staunch Marxist and a great leader of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people.

He dedicated his entire life to the cause of his Party and nation, making outstanding contributions to Vietnam's Doi Moi (renewal), the cause of building socialism in Vietnam as well as the socialist movement in the world, the message said.

The embassy added that Vietnamese Party General Secretary Trong was a close comrade and a sincere friend of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people. He inherited and developed the traditional comrades-plus-brothers friendship between the two Parties and two countries and forged a profound friendship with the CPC and Chinese leaders.

The Vietnamese Party chief and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping jointly elevated the China-Vietnam relations to a community with a shared future that carries strategic significance and promoted the continuous development of the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership. The CPC, the Chinese government and people will always miss comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, according to the post.

“We believe that CPV and the Vietnamese people will turn grief into strength, carry on the legacy of comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, stay united and strive to make new and greater achievements in the cause of Doi Moi and socialism building.”

Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong lives forever in the Vietnamese motherland, the Chinese Embassy in Vietnam wrote on Facebook.

Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) shakes hands with Chinese Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping during the Chinese leader’s visit to Vietnam in December 2023. Photo: Nguyen Khanh / Tuoi Tre

U.S. Ambassador in Vietnam Marc E. Knapper also expressed his deep sadness over the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Nguyen Phu Trong, according to the diplomat's statement posted on the U.S. Embassy's website on Friday.

“It is with deep sadness that we mark the passing of Communist Party of Vietnam General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Our thoughts are with his wife, Ngo Thi Man, the rest of his family, and the people of Vietnam during this difficult time,” Knapper said.

The ambassador added that Vietnam lost a visionary leader who for decades served as a bridge between Hanoi and Washington as he did with the rest of the international community.

The U.S. will forever be grateful for Party General Secretary Trong’s leadership in promoting peace, stability, and prosperity, according to the U.S. ambassador’s statement.

“We hold our relationship with Vietnam in the highest regard, and we look forward to working closely with President To Lam and all Party, State, and National Assembly leadership,” Knapper said.

Vietnamese Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (R) shakes hands with U.S. Ambassador in Vietnam Marc E. Knapper. Photo: vn.usembassy.gov

In addition, the Embassy of South Korea on Friday showed its grief over the passing of Party General Secretary Trong through a post on Facbook.

Meanwhile, the French Embassy in Vietnam wrote on the platform that it would like to extend the sincerest condolences to the family of Party General Secretary Trong, the people in Vietnam, CPV, and the government of Vietnam.

“At this time of mourning on the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the Australian Embassy and Consulate-General in Vietnam express our deepest condolences to his family, the people, the Party and Government of Vietnam. Our thoughts are with you,” according to the Embassy of Australia in Vietnam’s post on its Facebook page.

Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong passed away at 1:38 pm on July 19, 2024 in Hanoi, Nhan Dan (People) newspaper cited information from the Central Committee on Health Care for Senior Governmental Officials.

The Party chief drew his last breath at Military Central Hospital 108 despite the efforts of leading doctors and healthcare experts to treat his serious illness.

General Secretary Trong was born in 1944.

The Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front will issue a special announcement regarding the organization of the State Funeral for comrade Nguyen Phu Trong.

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