Former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai was commemorated in South Africa. (Source: VNA) Hanoi (VNA) – Embassies and representativeoffices of Vietnamin foreign countries have held ceremonies to pay tribute to former Politburo member and former Prime MinisterPhan Van Khai, who passed away on March 17 at the age of 85.
At a memorialservice in the US on March20, Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh highlighted PM Khai’s contributionsto the Vietnam-US relationship through his visit to the US in June 2005.
This is thefirst visit to the US by asenior Vietnamese leader, he said, adding that it took place on the occasion ofthe tenth anniversary of bilateral ties and 20 years of Vietnam’s DoiMoi (Renewal) cause.
During thetrip, the former leader emphasised leaving the past behind and looking towardsthe future in Vietnam-US relations, and painted the picture of a Vietnam on thepath of renewal, and regional and international integration, Vinh said.
Delegationsfrom foreign countries like Laosand Myanmarcame to pay homage to the former leader.
On March 20-21, the Vietnamese mission tothe UN also held a ceremony in NewYork to commemorate former PM Khai, with the presenceof delegations of foreign countries in the UN, US friends and Vietnamese people.
Ambassador Georgi Pannytov, head of theBulgarian mission to the UN, said that former PM Khai was an architect of Vietnam’sinternational economic integration and a strategist of the national economy’sprosperity.
Representatives of Ethiopia, the Democratic People’s Republic ofKorea, Kyrgyzstan and Djiboutimissions to the UN also paid respects to the late leader.
A similar event was hosted by Vietnam’s permanent mission to the UN, the WorldTrade Organisation (UN) and other international organisations in Geneva, Switzerland,on March 20.
Director General of the International Organisation for Migration William LacySwing and Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong, among others, paidtheir respects at a shrine which will continue receiving delegations untilMarch 22.
The Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland also held a memorialservice for former PM Khai on March 20-21.
At a commemorative ceremony held by the VietnameseEmbassy in the UK on March20, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-UK Network Warwick Morris, who was UKAmbassador to Vietnamfor 2000-2003, said former the PM was very friendly.
Advocating economic reform and private economy, theformer PM signed the bilateral trade agreement between Vietnam and the USin 2001, and helped Vietnamjoin the WTO in 2006, he said.
UK-Vietnam trade ties have taken off during that periodand advanced in the following years, he said, commenting on Vietnam’sstable economic growth during former PM Khai’s term in office.
Former PM Khai was also remembered in Italy, the Netherlands,Ukraine, Israel, Bangladesh,Egyptand the Czech Republic.-VNA
VNA
