Showing his respect to the Party leader, Dr. Nguyen Huu Thinh, deputy head of the Mekong Delta province's Party Committee's Commission for Information and Education, described Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as a thoughtful and visionary leader with both outstanding theoretical thinking and scientific leadership method, who always realised his words and led a life of simplicity and remained close to colleagues and people.

Thinh recalled Party General Secretary Trong's sayings that in order to be a Party member or official, one must first be a genuine person, a person who knows how to respect integrity and their own honour, because honour is the most noble thing in the world.

At the first meeting of the Government in the 2031-2026 tenure, the Party leader underlined that honour, not money, is the most sacred and noblest thing, Thinh noted.

Meanwhile, Le Quoc Cuong, Director of the An Giang Department of Information and Communications, said that throughout his whole life and career, Party General Secretary Trong always showed best qualities of a true communist, shining with revolutionary ethics, being an exemplary leader with wisdom and simplicity, who devoted his life to the revolutionary cause of the Party. He was a respected leader of Vietnamese People, Cuong said.

“The Party General Secretary's passing away is a huge loss for the Party and the country, leaving endless grief among people of all walks of life. The ideas, opinions, leadership style, and ethics left by the leader will continue to be researched, studied, thoroughly grasped, and further promoted, especially in the work of Party building and rectification,” the official said.

As he learnt of the passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Ngo Ngoc Chuan, a young reporter from An Giang newspaper, was greatly saddened.

He recalled his memories of the Party chief's visit to An Giang in 2018, during which the leader presented the Party Organisation and people of An Giang with four verses: “An Giang to do after making words/ To arrive after departing, to be consent after discussing/ To do best after deciding/ Homeland awaiting, Party longing, people expecting.”

The verses showed the Party leader's sentiments towards An Giang, the homeland of State President Ton Duc Thang, a pioneering locality in the cause of national reform and construction, said the reporter.

To the expectations of the leader, An Giang has gained positive achievements in socio-economic development, continuously improving the living conditions of locals, he noted.

Like other people across the country, those of Dien Bich commune, Dien Chau district of central Nghe An province, have shown their great grief at the leader's passing away, and conducted practical activities to express their respect to the leader.

Right from the July 19 noon, locals in Quyet Thang village of Dien Bich commune canceled all of their cultural, sports, and entertainment activities to mourn the leader. Many families have got their national flags ready to fly half-mast to pay the last farewell to their beloved leader.

Nguyen Dinh Tan, a local, said that after hearing of the Party chief's passing away, he and other villagers have been sad.

This is a great loss to the whole Party and State, he said, affirming that the foundation laid by the leader and achievements that the country has gained under his leadership in the past decades will remain as evidence of the solidarity, unity, and strength of the Party.

“I myself am always confident in the Party's leadership and our solidarity to fulfill all targets set at the 13th National Party Congress,” stated Tan.

Ho Van Giao, also from Quyet Thang, could not help showing his sadness. Although death is a rule that no one can resist, it still leaves great grief, he said, expressing his hope that the Party will have more members who are excellent, brave, exemplary, and talented like General Secretary Trong.

Duong Van Be, a Party member from Cai Rang district, the Mekong Delta city of Can Tho, and former Director of the Can Tho Social Security Office, expressed his deep emotions, saying that he was shocked and saddened upon hearing the news of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's passing away last night. He felt profound sorrow at the loss of a talented and moral leader of the country.

According to Be, over the nearly three terms as the head of the Party, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made significant contributions to the Party building and national development cause. Notably, his efforts in the Party building and rectification, as well as promoting the study and following President Ho Chi Minh's ideology, morality, and lifestyle, have proved effective, achieving many important results.

Particularly, the corruption fight initiated and directly led by the Party leader, with the principle of "no off-limits zones" has been very effective, and greatly trusted by the people and local Party organisations, Be said.

Under the leadership of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam has advanced to new heights in all aspects of politics, economics, culture, society, and national security - defence, affirming its national status in the Southeast Asian region and on the international stage. The qualities, ethics, and talent of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, especially his spirit of serving the nation and the people throughout his tenure, have proved that he was indeed an outstanding disciple of President Ho Chi Minh, Be said, expressing his belief that the Party Central Committee, the Politburo, the National Assembly, and the Government will continue to stay united and steadfastly overcome difficulties to move the country forward.

Officials, party members, and many people in the northern province of Hai Duong are also deeply saddened at the passing away of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Nguyen Minh Thang, Standing Committee member and head of the Comission of Information and Education of the Chi Linh municipal Party Commitee, said: "Over the years, through media, I have followed and recorded speeches and words of the General Secretary at conferences and during his meetings with voters. I have felt the closeness and empathy of the Party leader towards officials and people from all walks of life."

He said that he has thoroughly studied the General Secretary's books on the fight against corruption and other negative phenomena; building a clean and strong Party and political system; and developing a comprehensive, modern Vietnamese foreign policy imbued with "Vietnamese bamboo" characters, among other works.

"Together with the Comission of Information and Education of the municipal Party Commitee, we have popularised the contents of these books to officials, party members, and the people of Chi Linh city in a timely way," Thang added.

"I am very impressed by the General Secretary's words: 'A person only lives once; one must live in a meaningful way, so as not to feel regretful and remorseful for petty, shameful, and unscrupulous actions. What good is having a lot of money when you can't take it with you when you die? Honour is the most sacred and noble thing."

Thang stressed that the statement reflects the qualities of a revolutionary soldier and a model figure of pure ethics in the Party building and rectification process and the fight against corruption and other negative phenomena./. VNA