A memorial service for former Politburo member and former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai took place at Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City and International Convention Centre in Hanoi on March 22. 

CPV General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong reads a eulogy at the memorial service

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Nguyen Phu Trong, President Tran Dai Quang, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Tran Thanh Man attended the event.

Delivering a eulogy, CPV chief Trong said comrade Phan Van Khai was an outstanding leader of the Party, State and people of Vietnam, a loyal Communist Party member who dedicated his life to national independence and freedom, the well-being of the people and the ideals of socialism. 

His passing is a great loss to the Vietnamese Party, State and people and his relatives, he said. 

He added that during more than 70 years of revolutionary activities, from joining the revolutionary movement in his homeland in Hoc Mon, Gia Dinh to assuming the top position in the government, Khai dedicated his life to the fight for national liberation and reunification and socialism building. 

In the positions of Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee, Chairman of the State Planning Commission, Politburo member, permanent member of the Politburo, Deputy Prime Minister and Prime Minister, he worked with the CPV Central Committee and the government to lead the nation in the path of reform, develop a socialism-oriented market economy, maintain political-social stability, strengthen national defence-security and expand external relations and global integration, helping the country reap achievements of historic significance. 

In any position, he was absolutely loyal to the goals and revolutionary ideals of the CPV, set himself as an example and showed diligence, thrift, integrity, honesty, public-spiritedness and selflessness. He did the best to strengthen Party unity and build a strong and transparent CPV, place the interests of the CPV, the country and people above others and won the respect and affection of the people and international friends, he said. 

Trong expressed his deep sorrow at the passing of the former leader. 

The Party chief said the CPV, people and armed forces vow to continue following the revolutionary path and stay consistent to Marxism-Leninism, Ho Chi Minh Thought and ideals of national independence and socialism and fully push forward renovation for the goal of building Vietnam with wealthy people, democracy, fairness and civilization, he said.

The CPV and State leaders and his relatives moved the coffin to his final resting place in his homeland. 

The burial ceremony took place at 11am in Tan Thong Hoi commune, Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City. 

During the March 20-21 State funeral, 2,046 delegations with 108,000 people paid homage to the former leader at the two venues and his home, including 231 diplomatic corps and international organisations.

Former PM Phan Van Khai, born on December 25, 1933, native to Tan Thong Hoi commune, Cu Chi district, Ho Chi Minh City, residing at No.24 Tu Xuong street, Ward 7, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City, passed away at 1:30am on March 17 at his home due to illness and old age.

He joined the revolution in 1947 and the CPV on July 15, 1959. 

He was a member of the CPV Central Committee of the 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th tenures, Politburo member of the 7th, 8th and 9th tenures, permanent member of the Politburo of the 8th tenure, Prime Minister from 1997 to 2006 and National Assembly deputy of the 8th, 9th, 10th and 11th tenures. 

Throughout 70 years of revolutionary activities, he made great contributions to the revolutionary cause of the CPV and the nation. 

He was conferred with the Golden Star Order and the 55-year Party membership badge, and many other noble distinctions of Vietnam and foreign countries.

Memorial services hosted for former PM overseas

Vietnamese Embassy holds memorial service for former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in the US 

Vietnamese embassies in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Mexico on March 20 and 21 held solemn memorial services for former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai who passed away last weekend, aged 85.

Foreign ambassadors and diplomats, representatives of international organisations and Vietnamese expats in Australia came to the Embassy of Vietnam in Canberra to pay tribute to the former PM and write down their memories of him on the funeral book.

The Lao Ambassador to Australia showed deep regrets over the death of the former PM, saying he was a beloved leader of Vietnamese people and a good friend of Laos. A diplomat from US Embassy recalled the former PM’s great contribution to the Vietnam-US relations as he was the first Vietnamese PM to pay an official visit to the US, hailing him as one who accelerated economic reform, bring prosperity to Vietnam.

Similar events took place in Vietnamese consulate general in Sydney and Perth.

In New Zealand, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Viet Dung conveyed his greatest condolences over the loss of former PM Phan Van Khai’s family at a memorial service held in Wellington. 

During his ebullient time as a revolutionary since 1947, the former PM had held a number of leadership posts from grass-roots to central levels, both in wars and in peace, greatly dedicating to the national liberation, building and safeguarding. In office for nine years (from 1997-2000), Khai was praised as a leader that strongly pushed for Vietnam’s national reforms and international integration, the Ambassador wrote in the funeral book.

In Ottawa, Canada, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Duc Hoa joined staff at the Embassy of Vietnam and Vietnam’s representative offices in one-minute silence in memory of former PM Khai on March 20.

Hoa wrote down on the funeral book, recalling Khai’s important achievements to promote the country’s “Doi moi” (Renewal) process and the development of the Vietnam-Canada relations. The former PM has gone but the Vietnam House at 85 Glebe Avenue forever preserves gifts he presented on an official visit to Canada in 2005.

The same day, ambassadors and diplomats from Greece, Iraq, and Thailand as well as representatives of the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) in Canada sent their condolences to the Vietnamese Embassy over Khai’s death while many diplomats from Qatar, Guyana, Slovenia, Canada, ASEAN and Vietnamese expats paid homage to him at the embassy.

The Embassy of Vietnam to Mexico also hosted an event to pay tribute to the former PM on March 20 and 21 with the attendance of ambassadors from Pakistan, Cuba, Algeria, Thailand, Peru and Malaysian chargé d’affaires.

International friends mourn for former PM Khai

A delegation led by Saysomphone Phomvihane, Politburo member and Chairman of the Lao Front for National Construction Central Committee, pay their last respect to former Politburo member and former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai 

Many diplomatic corps came to the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi-based International Convention Centre on March 21 to pay their last respect to former Politburo member and former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, who passed away on March 17.

Representatives of the diplomatic corps praised the former leader’s contributions to Vietnam’s national construction and development, saying he created a firm foundation for the development of diplomatic ties between Vietnam and countries in the region and the world, helping elevate Vietnam’s position in the international arena. 

Writing in the funeral book, Saysomphone Phomvihane, Politburo member and Chairman of the Lao Front for National Construction Central Committee, highlighted former PM Khai’s contributions to the Laos-Vietnam relationship. 

Aleksei Popov, Russia’s Consul General to HCM City, wrote in the funeral book that former PM Khai has been known in Russia as an eminent leader who greatly contributed to Vietnam’s development as well as the friendship and cooperation between Russia and Vietnam, helping advance the bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership. 

Japanese Ambassador to Vietnam Kunio Umeda also expressed his deep sympathy to the Vietnamese Government and people as well as the former PM’s family over his death, saying PM Shinzo Abe sent a letter of condolences to the deceased’s family and Vietnamese leaders. 

The diplomat noted the late leader’s role in laying a foundation for the Japan-Vietnam friendship, especially economic cooperation. 

Khai created the Vietnam-Japan Joint Initiative through which the two countries have worked together for a favourable investment environment in each nation, he said, emphasising that Japan thanks the former Vietnamese leader for his devotions. 

Im Hen, Cambodian Consul General to HCM City, said the passing of former PM Khai is a great loss of the Vietnamese people. The late leader led the country in its path of development and helped enhance the friendship and solidarity between Vietnam and Cambodia.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s Consul General in HCM City Leow Siu Lin said during his term of office, former PM Khai maintained close-knit relations with Singaporean leaders and made marked contributions to bilateral diplomatic ties. 

During his visit to Singapore in March 2004, Khai and Singapore’s senior leaders reached consensus on the initiative connecting the two economies, laying a foundation for the bilateral cooperation, she said, adding that the former leader also created a firm basis for Vietnam to affirm its position in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). 

By the end of March 21, a total of 2,046 delegations with 108,000 people came to the two venues to pay tribute to former PM Phan Van Khai.

VNA