on the occasion of the upcoming Lunar New Year (Tet) Festival - the biggest traditional festival of Vietnamese people.

Party and State leaders pay tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum in Hanoi (Photo: VNA)

Joining the delegation were Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan;  Politburo member, Permanent member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat and Chairman of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Information and Education Vo Van Thuong; and Politburo member, President of the VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Man.

Party and State leaders pay tribute to fallen combatants (Photo: VNA)

Former Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh, former NA Chairman Nguyen Van An, former Permanent member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat Tran Quoc Vuong and many other former Party and State leaders were also present at the event.

The leaders expressed their profound gratitude for the great merit of President Ho Chi Minh, a talented leader of the Party and people, a great teacher of the Vietnamese revolution who dedicated his whole life to the country and people and led the Vietnamese Party and people to glorious victories.

The entire Party, people and army are determined to consistently follow the path chosen by President Ho Chi Minh and stay united to build a Vietnamese nation of peace, independence, unity, democracy and prosperity, steadfastly advancing to socialism.

Later, the leaders also laid a wreath of flowers in tribute to fallen combatants at the Monument for Heroic Martyrs on Bac Son street.

Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, NA Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and President of the VFF Central Committee Tran Thanh Man offer incense in tribute to revolutionaries and heroic martyrs at Mai Dich Cemetery (Photo: VNA)

The same day, delegations from the Central Military Commission - the Ministry of National Defence; the Central Public Security Party Committee - the Ministry of Public Security; the Party Committee, People’s Council, People’s Committee and VFF Committee of Hanoi also paid tribute to President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and heroic martyrs at the Monument.

Also in the morning of February 9, the Party and State leaders offered incense to revolutionaries and heroic martyrs at Mai Dich Cemetery in the capital city./. VNA