Moscow (VNA) - The passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has spread deep sorrow among Vietnamese expatriates in Russia who consider it a great loss for Vietnam and its people, whether residing inside or outside the country, Chairman of the Association of Overseas Vietnamese (OV) in Russia Do Xuan Hoang told the Vietnam News Agency in a recent interview.

According to Hoang, the late Party chief was a worthy successor of preceding revolutionary leaders and national heroes who had devoted their life to the country and its people toward building an independent, free, and prosperous Vietnam. Overseas Vietnamese could clearly observe the effective economic and external relations policies under Trong’s leadership, which had helped enhance their position and facilitate their long-term stability and development abroad.

Hoang expressed his belief that the best way to remember the Party General Secretary is to follow his example of integrity, dedication to work, and devotion to the national construction and defence cause.

To Tran Phu Thuan, the permanent vice chairperson of the association and a lecturer at the Moscow State University of Railway Engineering (MITT), the four occasions he met and shook hands with Party General Secretary Trong have become priceless memories of a great leader and a person who was approachable, humble, and endeared himself to everyone. Thuan asserted that the leader’s shining example of ethics and a lifetime of devotion to the nation and its people earned him unwavering trust from the populace.

His passing is a profound loss for the Vietnamese people, including the expatriate community in Russia, and for Russian friends alike, Thuan said, adding that on recent days, he has received numerous condolences from his Russian acquaintances.

Talking about the two occasions when Party General Secretary Trong visited the Vietnamese community in Russia, Pham Thanh Xuan, an active member of the group, said despite his busy schedule, the late leader always spared time for them and inquired about their well-being.

Expressing her honour to represent the community on both visits and convey their aspirations to the Party General Secretary, she noted that what left a deep impression on her was his humility. At one meeting, after answering all questions, he got down to shake hands with attendees and asked her if he had answered all her questions.

Xuan said that his modesty is the quality everyone should emulate.

Nguyen Quoc Hung, a scientific researcher and the director of the "Tradition and Friendship Fund" in Russia, held the Party chief's theoretical works in high regard. Based on his participation in their reviews, he particularly valued the basic and contemporary relevance of the works, especially the one on some theoretical and practical issues of socialism and the path to socialism in Vietnam.

Remembering the highest leader of the Party, Hung recalled his simple yet profound advice, which is wherever one goes and whatever one does, every individual must remember they are Vietnamese and strive to earn international respect for themselves and their beloved country.

The expert expressed his belief that even after his passing, lessons imparted by the leader, which involve basic and profound, theoretical and practical matters as well as internal and external affairs, remain deep in the hearts of every Vietnamese in Russia.

These days, Russian friends have also expressed their sentiments to the Vietnamese community. Viktor Petrov, a member of the board of trustees of the Soviet peace fund and a former member of the Soviet Union’s committee for supporting Vietnam, said he feels the deep sorrow that Vietnam is experiencing upon the passing of Party General Secretary Trong, who helped the nation achieve significant accomplishments in recent years.

Expressing pride in his two decades of involvement with the committee established under the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, Petrov shared his emotions upon witnessing the complete transformation of Vietnam today, emphasising its remarkable steps of development, growth, and prosperity, as well as profound and positive changes.

Former Soviet friends of Vietnam, like Petrov, s𒐪aid they hope to see the country thrive and remain ♋a sincere and loyal friend of the Russian people./.