Memorial service held for Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong

Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's casket leaves National Funeral Hall (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi – A memorial ceremony was held at 1pm on July 26 for General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong.

The service was organised simultaneously at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and the late leader’s hometown in Dong Hoi commune of Hanoi’s Dong Anh district, by the CPV Central Committee, the National Assembly, the State President, the Government, the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and his family.

As of 12:30 on July 26, over 5,600 delegations from central and local agencies, armed forces, the public, and foreign countries and organisations, with more than 252,000 people, had paid their respects to the late leader in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Additionally, over 483,000 entries had been made in the electronic condolence book on the e-identification app VNeID, and approximately 3,000 delegations paid their respects at 94 Vietnamese diplomatic missions abroad.

Attending the memorial service at the National Funeral Hall were Politburo members: State President To Lam, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Luong Cuong, Secretary of the Party Central Committee, President of the VFF Central Committee Do Van Chien, and other Politburo members and Secretaries of the Party Central Committee.

Also present at the ceremony were incumbent and former leaders of the Party, the State and the VFF, veteran revolutionaries, intellectuals, representatives from agencies, organisations, associations, religious organisations, people from all walks of life and international friends.

Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was born April 14, 1944 in Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi city. His residence is at No. 5 Thien Quang street, Nguyen Du ward, Hai Ba Trung district, Hanoi. He started his career on December 5, 1967 and became a Party member on December 19, 1967.

He is a member of the Party Central Committee in the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th tenures; a member of the Political Bureau in the 8th, 9th, 10th, 11th, 12th and 13th tenures; Chairman of the National Assembly in the 11th and 12th tenures; General Secretary of the Party Central Committee in the 11th, 12th, 13th tenures; President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam in the 2016-2021 tenure; Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council; Secretary of the Central Military Commission; a member of the Standing Board of the Central Public Security Party Committee; head of the Central Steering Committee on Prevention and Control of Corruption and Negative Phenomena; and Deputy of the 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th National Assembly.

Politburo member and State President To Lam reads the eulogy (Photo: VNA)

Reading the eulogy, Politburo member and State President To Lam, head of the Funeral Board, said the General Secretary’s passing is a huge and irreparable loss to the Party, nation, and people. The country has lost a talented leader; the world communist and progressive movements have lost a sharp theorist; international friends have lost a sincere friend and a close comrade; and his family, clan, and the hometown of Dong Hoi have lost an eminent son.

President Lam noted that throughout his nearly 60 years of diverse, unwavering revolutionary work, Professor, Doctor, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, with his wide and keen intellect, has left a valuable system of ideology and theory on Vietnam’s revolutionary path in the new era for the entire Party, army, and people. Persisting and creatively applying Marxism-Leninism and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology, with the goal of national independence and socialism, ideologist Nguyen Phu Trong, a theory flag of the Party, has clarified the theory of socialism and the path towards socialism in Vietnam, the role of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the socialist-oriented market economy. His invaluable legacy has consolidated the strong trust in the path towards socialism, significantly contributing to the development of the world communist movement, Marxism-Leninism, and Ho Chi Minh’s ideology in the present era.

With his strategic vision on the current world situation, unceasing efforts to contribute to maintaining a peaceful and stable environment in the region and the world, he opened up a new chapter in the relations between Vietnam and international partners, boosted the country’s friendship with other countries, intensified Vietnam’s contributions with various commitments and practical acts, and closely combined the strength of the nation and that of the era, strongly bringing the country forward.

General Secretary Trong and the Party Central Committee worked out plans, made decisions, and led the successful implementation of the strategic guidelines on Party building and rectification; resolutely and persistently fought individualism, degradation of ideology, morality, and lifestyle, and corruption and other negative phenomena in the Party. This is an arduous fight against “internal enemy” to make the Party purer and stronger, and affirm the pioneering role, mettle, and intellect, so that the Party is truly of morality and civilisation.

The late leader made great devotion and especially important contributions to building and developing an advanced Vietnamese culture imbued with national identity, making it truly a spiritual foundation of the society, an intrinsic strength, and important momentum for national development.

With a profound and sharp political viewpoint, he elevated the strategic mindset, creating a new development for the national defence, security, and external affairs of Vietnam. He also brought into play the pioneering role of the comprehensive diplomacy, forming and leading the efficient implementation of the new-era art of diplomacy deeply imbued with the characteristics of the “Vietnamese bamboo”. Under his leadership, Vietnam has become a trustworthy partner and an active and responsible member in the international stage, and unceasingly carried out intensive, extensive and comprehensive integration into the international politics, the world economy, and the humankind’s civilisation, reads the eulogy.

President Lam went on to say that running through General Secretary Trong’s thought is the people, the humans, and the wholehearted and all-out service to the people, the development of the new socialist people, and the unceasing consolidation of solidarity and unity, firstly those in the Party, the great national solidarity, and the pure international solidarity.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong relentlessly devoted himself to the revolutionary cause of our Party and nation with a steel-like spirit and will, did not backtrack in the face of obstacles and difficulties; dedicated all of his sense of responsibility and revolutionary enthusiasm, worked till his last breath, and made wholehearted and all-out dedications to the Party, the country, and the people, demonstrating a great figure living his life to the fullest for the country, the Party, and the people.

He is truly an outstanding and brilliant example of the pure revolutionary mettle and ethics, “public-spiritedness and selflessness”, a simple, upright, and sincere lifestyle, a democratic, dedicated, scientific, close to reality, and drastic working style which contains consistency between words and actions, along with the respect for and love of people, and the extreme closeness to the people. He was truly the nucleus that mobilised the solidarity, unity, and wisdom of the entire Party, people, and army, received the respect, trust, and pride from cadres, Party members and the people, and was also appreciated and highly valued by international friends, President Lam went on.

The State leader added that the General Secretary passed away but his name and career, contributions and dedications, and talent and righteousness will remain bright forever in the glorious history of the Party and the nation, in the gratitude of cadres, Party members and people, and in the sentiment of international friends. His legacy will last forever in the history of Vietnam and be inherited and further brought into play in the cause of renewal, thereby successfully realising the goal of building a peaceful, independent, united, democratic, prosperous, powerful, civilised, and happy Vietnam that he wished and strived for throughout his whole life.

Leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front; representatives of ministries, departments, sectors, organisations, comrades, compatriots, and international friends observed a minute of silence to commemorate General Secretary Trong.

On behalf of the bereaved family, Nguyen Trong Truong, the son of Party General Secretary Trong said: “After a period of illness, despite wholehearted care and treatment by the Party, the State, leading medical professors and doctors, and our family, due to old age and severe illness, our father and grandfather passed away at 1:38pm on July 19, 2024 (the 14th day of the sixth lunar month in the Year of the Dragon) at Central Military Hospital 108 in Hanoi, at the age of 80. Our father’s passing is an extremely great and incompensable loss to our family, especially my Mother and his children and grandchildren.

From the time our father fell ill until his last moment and throughout the organisation of the funeral, our family has received a lot of affection, encouragement, sincere sympathies, and wholehearted assistance from the Party, the State, central agencies and units, localities, uncles, aunts, brothers, sisters, along with the affection from people nationwide, overseas compatriots, and international friends. My Mother and our entire family wish to express the most profound and sincere appreciation and gratitude.”

Delegates observe a moment of silence in memory of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong (Photo: VNA)

Expressing their grief, leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front; representatives of ministries, departments, sectors, organisations, comrades, compatriots, and international friends walked around the leader’s coffin, bidding their last farewell to comrade Nguyen Phu Trong, an outstanding and reputable leader of the Party, State and people.

In the solemn background music of the song “Hon Tu si” (Souls of the Fallen), leaders and former leaders of the Party and State carried the coffin of General Secretary Trong to the hearse.

The coffin of General Secretary Trong was solemnly covered with the national flag. The hearse carrying the coffin of General Secretary Trong left the National Funeral Hall at No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street to his resting place at Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi.

Crowds of people lined both sides of the route where the funeral procession passed to send off comrade Trong - the exemplary leader who devoted his whole life to the country and the people, to his resting place.

On June 26 afternoon, taking place in parallel with the memorial services at the National Funeral Hall, at Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, large numbers of representatives from central and local agencies, and people of all walks of life in Ho Chi Minh City attended the memorial service for General Secretary Trong.

In the late Party leader’s hometown at Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune of Hanoi’s Dong Anh district, local leaders, Trong’s relatives and crowd of people gathered to pay last homage to the Party chief.

To the people of Dong Hoi, General Secretary Trong is not only an example of simplicity, accessibility and sincerity but also a talented, exemplary and virtuous leader of the Party, State and people.

The burial service for Party General Secretary Trong took place at 3pm the same day at the Mai Dich Cemetery in Hanoi.

Foreign leaders pay last respects to Vietnamese Party chief High-ranking delegations from Laos, China, Cambodia, Russia, Cuba paid their last respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on July 25, expressing their grief for the death of the Vietnamese Party leader. ​

More condolences sent to Vietnam over Party General Secretary’s death Following the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyen Phu Trong, senior leaders from various countries, international organisations, parties, and friendship organisations worldwide have sent condolences to the CPV Central Committee, the President, Prime Minister, and people of Vietnam, and the late leader’s family.

Over 1,560 delegations bid farewell to Party General Secretary As many as 1,565 delegations with 55,600 people paid their final respects to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Reunification Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and his hometown in Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune, Hanoi's outlying district of Dong Anh from 7am to 9pm on July 25.