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, who passed away on July l9, at the age of 80,  the Vietnam News Agency has reported.

The service was organized 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 international organizations, with more than 252,000 people, had paid their respects to the late leader in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. 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, organizations, associations, religious organizations, people from all walks of life and international friends.

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 civilization.

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 defense, 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 civilization, 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 mobilized 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 realizing the goal of building a peaceful, independent, united, democratic, prosperous, powerful, civilized, 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, organizations, comrades, compatriots, and international friends observed a minute of silence to commemorate General Secretary Trong.

Expressing their grief, leaders of the Party, State, and Vietnam Fatherland Front; representatives of ministries, departments, sectors, organizations, 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 routes 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.

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