Algeria’s Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia and other officials from ministries and sectors paid tribute to Vietnam’s former Politburo member and former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, who passed away on March 17, at a ceremony held by the Embassy of Vietnam in the country on March 20. 

The Vietnamese Embassy in Japan on March 20 held a ceremony to pay respect to former PM Phan Van Khai. 

Addressing the ceremony, PM Ouyahia, on behalf of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, the Government and people of Algeria, offered his deep condolences to the Party, State, Government and people of Vietnam as well as the late PM Khai’s family over his death. 

He stressed that the two countries have maintained a long-standing, fruitful friendship as well as mutual support in difficult times. 

In reply, Vietnamese Ambassador to Algeria Pham Quoc Tru said PM Ouyahia’s presence at the ceremony reflects special sentiments, deep and close-knit friendship between the two countries. 

Earlier, Ambassador Tru and the embassy’s staff joined in a commemorative service for the former PM, in which the diplomat lauded the late leader’s contributions to Vietnam’s struggle for national liberation, socialism and people’s happiness, as well as the country’s Doi Moi (Renewal) cause. 

The same day, many high-ranking delegations from Algeria and representative offices of foreign countries in Algeria came to pay their last respects to the late leader. 

Also on March 20, the Embassy of Vietnam in Cambodia hosted a similar event to pay homage to the former leader, who passed away at the age of 85.

Many delegations from Cambodia and foreign countries such as Laos, China, India and other ASEAN member nations also came to pay tribute to the former PM, including a delegation of the Cambodian People’s Party (CPP) led by Sim Ca, permanent member of the Standing Board of the CPP Central Committee. 

Writing in the funeral book, Sim Ca stressed the former PM’s great contributions to Vietnam’s nation-building cause, and offered his deep condolences to the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, Vietnamese people and the late leader’s family. 

The same day, a similar ceremony was held by the Embassy of Vietnam in Singapore. 

Ambassadors and representatives of diplomatic corps of foreign countries in Singapore came to pay homage to former PM Khai. 

Among them was Russian Ambassador to Singapore Andrey Tatarinov who had met the late leader many times during 2011-2004 in his capacity as Russian Ambassador to Vietnam. 

The ambassador praised significant contributions of former PM Khai to the development of the friendship and strategic partnership between Vietnam and Russia, saying Russian people will always remember the former PM as a close friend of Russia. 

Singapore’s Minister of State for the Prime Minister’s Office, Ministry of Manpower and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, described former PM Khai as a respectable leader and a good friend of Singapore. 

The late leader’s contributions to enhancing cooperation between Singapore and Vietnam will always be remembered, he said. 

Diplomats of Laos, Chile, Japan, China and Thailand were present at the event. 

Former PM Khai was also commemorated in India, Germany and Hong Kong (China).

Overseas ceremonies pay homage to late PM Phan Van Khai

The ceremony to pay tribute to late Prime Minister Phan Van Khai at the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar on March 20 (Photo: Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar)

The Vietnamese embassies in many countries held ceremonies on March 20 to pay respect to former Politburo member and former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, who passed away on March 17 at the age of 85.

At the event in Beijing, Vietnamese Ambassador to China Dang Minh Khoi emphasised the former PM’s significant contributions to the reform of Vietnam and his dedication as a faithful communist who strived for national independence, socialism and people’s happiness.

The diplomat said while serving as the PM of Vietnam from 1997 to 2006, Khai greatly contributed to the friendly neighbourliness and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and China. He made many official visits to China and met with leaders of the Communist Party of China and the State and Government of China.

During this period, aside from the fast progress in bilateral cooperation in economy-trade, culture-education and people-to-people ties, the two countries also attained a number of important outcomes in solving outstanding problems, especially land- and sea-related border issues. 

They signed the land border treaty on December 30, 1999, and the agreement on the Tonkin Gulf demarcation and the agreement on fishery cooperation in the Tonkin Gulf on December 25, 2000, creating a solid legal foundation for border and territory management and helping to build a Vietnam-China border of peace, friendship and long-term stability, Khoi added.

Also on March 20 morning, a similar ceremony was held at the Vietnamese Embassy in Malaysia. After reviewing former PM Khai’s enormous contributions, Vietnamese Ambassador Le Quy Quynh, the embassy staff and many Vietnamese people in Malaysia paid homage to the deceased.

Many foreign delegations in Malaysia also paid tribute to the late leader, including the ambassadors of Cambodia, Namibia, Gambia, Venezuela, Timor Leste, and Turkey.

In her speech at the ceremony at the Vietnamese Embassy in Myanmar, Vietnamese Ambassador Luan Thuy Duong highlighted that then PM Khai was resolved to gear regulations towards bringing into play the capability of all economic sectors, especially the private sector, while promoting the country’s integration into the world.

She stressed that the death of the former Government leader is a great loss to the Communist Party of Vietnam and the State and people of Vietnam.

Representatives of the Lao, Indonesian, US and Czech embassies and Vietnamese businesses and people in Myanmar also came to the ceremony to pay tribute to former PM Khai.

Respect paying ceremonies were also opened by the Vietnamese embassies in Thailand and Indonesia in the morning of March 20.

The events will last through March 21, the same time with the two-day State funeral for the deceased in Vietnam.

Memorial services for former PM Khai in Laos, Japan

Vietnamese Embassy in Japan h​olds a memorial service for former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai on March 20

Lao Prime Minister Thongloun Sisoulith led a high-level delegation to pay tribute to former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai at the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos in Vientiane on March 20.

The delegation included Silavong Khutphaythoun, Secretary and Governor of the Vientiane capital; Bounpon Bouttanavong, Vice Chairman of the Lao National Assembly; Saleumsay Kommasith, Foreign Minister, among others.

In the funeral book, the Lao PM expressed his deep sorrow at the passing away of Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, who made significant contributions to national protection and construction as well as strengthening the Vietnam-Laos special friendship and comprehensive cooperation.

Representatives from the Lao Foreign Ministry, the Laos-Vietnam Cooperation Committee, and Vietnamese representative offices and Vietnamese people in Laos also came to the embassy to pay tribute to the late Prime Minister.

The same day, the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan held a memorial service for former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai and placed funeral books that will remain until March 22.

Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Quoc Cuong and staff of the embassy, and representatives from Vietnamese representative offices in Japan solemnly offered incense to the former Government leader.

After observing a minute of silence in memory of the deceased, the Ambassador reviewed PM Khai’s contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation, as well as the country’s Renewal and nation-building cause.

Ceremonies held abroad to commemorate late PM Phan Van Khai

Former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai was commemorated in South Africa.

Embassies and representative offices of Vietnam in foreign countries have held ceremonies to pay tribute to former Politburo member and former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, who passed away on March 17 at the age of 85.

At a memorial service in the US on March 20, Vietnamese Ambassador Pham Quang Vinh highlighted PM Khai’s contributions to the Vietnam-US relationship through his visit to the US in June 2005. 

This is the first visit to the US by a senior Vietnamese leader, he said, adding that it took place on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of bilateral ties and 20 years of Vietnam’s Doi Moi (Renewal) cause.   

During the trip, the former leader emphasised leaving the past behind and looking towards the future in Vietnam-US relations, and painted the picture of a Vietnam on the path of renewal, and regional and international integration, Vinh said. 

Delegations from foreign countries like Laos and Myanmar came to pay homage to the former leader. 

On March 20-21, the Vietnamese mission to the UN also held a ceremony in New York to commemorate former PM Khai, with the presence of delegations of foreign countries in the UN, US friends and Vietnamese people. 

Ambassador Georgi Pannytov, head of the Bulgarian mission to the UN, said that former PM Khai was an architect of Vietnam’s international economic integration and a strategist of the national economy’s prosperity. 

Representatives of Ethiopia, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Kyrgyzstan and Djibouti missions to the UN also paid respects to the late leader. 

A similar event was hosted by Vietnam’s permanent mission to the UN, the World Trade Organisation (UN) and other international organisations in Geneva, Switzerland, on March 20. 

Director General of the International Organisation for Migration William Lacy Swing and Secretary General of the Inter-Parliamentary Union Martin Chungong, among others, paid their respects at a shrine which will continue receiving delegations until March 22. 

The Vietnamese Embassy in Switzerland also held a memorial service for former PM Khai on March 20-21. 

At a commemorative ceremony held by the Vietnamese Embassy in the UK on March 20, Vice Chairman of the Vietnam-UK Network Warwick Morris, who was UK Ambassador to Vietnam for 2000-2003, said former the PM was very friendly. 

Advocating economic reform and private economy, the former PM signed the bilateral trade agreement between Vietnam and the US in 2001, and helped Vietnam join the WTO in 2006, he said. 

UK-Vietnam trade ties have taken off during that period and advanced in the following years, he said, commenting on Vietnam’s stable economic growth during former PM Khai’s term in office.

Former PM Khai was also remembered in Italy, the Netherlands, Ukraine, Israel, Bangladesh, Egypt and the Czech Republic.

VNA