Hanoi (VNA) - Vietnamese embassies heldceremonies on August 13 and 14 for people to pay their respects to former GeneralSecretary of the Party Central Committee Le Kha Phieu, who passed away onAugust 7.
Yang Jiechi, a member of the Politburo of the CommunistParty of China Central Committee (CPC) and Director of the Office of the ForeignAffairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, laid a wreath in tribute to thelate leader at a ceremony hosted by the Vietnamese Embassy in China on August 14.
China’s Party General Secretary and President Xi Jinping,Premier Li Keqiang, Chairman of the Standing Board of the National People’s CongressLi Zhanshu, and Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s PoliticalConsultative Conference Wang Yang also sent flowers to the pay homage to the lateParty chief.
Yang Jiechi expressed his deep sympathy over Phieu’s passingand a belief that under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV),Vietnamese people will turn this grief into strength to gain greater achievementsin socialism building.
The Chinese Party, Government, and people attach greatimportance to the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation with Vietnam,and stand ready to work together with their Vietnamese counterparts to promote thetraditional friendship and the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership betweenthe two countries.
Vietnamese Ambassador to China Pham Sao Mai said the VietnameseParty, State, and people treasure ties with China and will join the Chinese sidein efforts to enhance the bilateral relationship.
On the same day, representatives from many Chinese ministriesand agencies along with ambassadors of foreign countries in China visited the VietnameseEmbassy to pay their respects to the late Vietnamese leader.
The condolence book at the embassy will remain open untilAugust 15.
A similar ceremony took place at the Vietnamese Embassyin Laos on the same day, which saw the attendance of Lao Party General Secretaryand President Bounnhang Vorachith, Chairwoman of the Lao National Assembly PanyYathotou, and Lao Deputy Prime Minister Sonesay Siphandone, among others.
Writing in the condolence book, Bounnhang Vorachith saidthe passing of the former Party chief is a great loss to the Vietnamese Party, Government,and people.
The Party, State, and people of Laos have also lost a comradeand close friend, he said, stressing Phieu’s significant contributions to the greatfriendship, special solidarity, and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam andLaos.
At another ceremony in Cambodia, Vietnamese AmbassadorVu Quang Minh praised Phieu’s contributions to the fight against the genocidalregime in Cambodia.
Vice President of the Senate Sim Ka, head of the InspectionCommission of the Cambodian People’s Party Ek Sam Ol, Secretary of State at theCambodian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Eat Sophea,and Chairman of the Cambodian National Assembly’s foreign affairs committee ChheangVun led delegations to the ceremony.
Services were also held by Vietnamese embassies in Japan,Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Egypt.
Former Party General Secretary Le Kha Phieu passed awayat 2.52am on August 7 at his home.
Over the course of his more than 70 years of revolutionaryactivities, comrade Phieu made substantial contributions to the revolutionary causeof the Party and the nation. He was awarded a Golden Star, an insignia for 70 yearsof Party membership, and many other Vietnamese and international orders and medals./.
VNA