Party General Secretary and State President Nguyen Phu Trong meets Kien Giang leaders on April 14

In response to questions from foreign reporters regarding rumors that Trong had suffered a stroke during a working visit to Kien Giang Province last month, spokeswoman Le Thi Thu Hang of the ministry confirmed that the leader would return to work soon.

The heavy workload and weather conditions had affected his health, she said.

On April 18, Trong sent a congratulatory message to the leaders of the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, who were elected during the first session of the 14th Supreme People's Assembly.

On April 21, he sent a message of condolences to Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena over the bombings last Sunday that killed more than 300 people and injured nearly 500.

The Party General Secretary and State President visited the Mekong Delta province of Kien Giang on April 13-14, where they discussed with local authorities the execution of socioeconomic, security and national defense tasks, according to the local media.