In my diplomatic career so far, I have had the honor and privilege of welcoming General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong on official visits to the host countries where I served as the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Vietnam. These include the official visit to the United Kingdom from January 21-24, 2013, as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and the historic state visit to Cambodia from February 25-26, 2019, as the General Secretary and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam. Before that, in July 2017, I was also honored to accompany the General Secretary on an official visit to Cambodia.

All three visits were significant in elevating the bilateral relations between Vietnam and the United Kingdom, and the Kingdom of Cambodia to new heights.

These three historic visits also allowed me to witness firsthand and take pride in a supreme leader of Vietnam who earned the genuine love and respect of leaders and people in other countries while remaining very humble and close to officials and citizens, always attentive and respectful of the opinions of officials and party members.

Official visit to the United Kingdom

“I was utterly amazed and impressed to find that, despite being the leader of a capitalist country, the head of a long-standing conservative party in Europe, I could share many common values and concerns with the leader of the ruling Communist Party in Vietnam, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong,” said David Cameron, the British Prime Minister and leader of the Conservative Party, sharing with the British Royal Family and the Diplomatic Corps about his meeting and talks with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong took me from one surprise to another, starting from the moment he set foot in London late in the evening over 10 years ago, on January 21, 2013.

I remember it clearly; it was quite a cold winter day in London. He had just come from a long work trip in the equally harsh winter weather of Europe after visiting Belgium, the European Union, the Vatican, and Italy from January 17-21, 2013, with an extremely busy and intense schedule.

When the plane landed, the accompanying officials informed me that the General Secretary might have caught a cold and was quite tired. Therefore, they suggested that I change the schedule and not invite him to meet the Vietnamese community at the Embassy as planned. Instead, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc and other official members would meet them on his behalf, while I would take the General Secretary directly from the airport to the hotel so he could have some time to rest and recover, preparing for the very tight three-day schedule in the United Kingdom.

The visit was indeed very important and special for both countries, as it was the first time a General Secretary of the ruling Communist Party visited the United Kingdom—a long-established capitalist country and the closest ally of the United States. It also marked four significant milestones: 40 years of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the United Kingdom, 20 years of the British Council's activities in Vietnam, 20 years of technical support from the UK's Department for International Development to Vietnam, and three years of effective implementation of the Strategic Partnership Agreement between the two countries.

In the car, I took the opportunity to brief him on the bilateral relations and some key points in the visit's agenda.

As we approached the hotel, he suddenly said, "Minh, I have been informed that it’s getting late today, it’s getting colder, and the Embassy’s facilities are deteriorating, with poor heating so I might get cold if I go to meet our compatriots, affecting the official program for the next three days. However, I have been uneasy about it all along. I promised to meet them, but at the last minute, I can't keep my word. I can't rest easy. I still want to meet our compatriots, even just for a moment. What do you think, Ambassador?"

The joy of the Vietnamese community was indescribable when General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong appeared unexpectedly after being informed that he could not attend. It was a warm and heartfelt reunion with emotions I had never witnessed before.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said, "I’m a bit cold, but being here with our compatriots warms my heart. I feel much better now."

Another very special moment was when he readily agreed to be interviewed by the press right at this emotional meeting, even though we hadn’t sought prior approval. And it wasn’t just the Vietnamese journalists stationed in London or those accompanying the delegation but also BBC Vietnamese. I still remember a BBC question about the historic first meeting between the General Secretary and the Pope during his visit to Italy and the Vatican before arriving in London.

“We talked about the true Christian spirit, living a good life, and following the faith,” General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong told the BBC. And BBC Vietnamese published the full text without edits, balancing, or additional commentary.

There were many interesting stories in arranging General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's visit to the United Kingdom due to its unique nature. Since the Queen had already committed to welcoming three heads of state with full state honors in 2013, she, although very much wanting to, could not officially host the General Secretary.

However, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was very pleased when I reported: “Sir, although the current Queen of the United Kingdom cannot officially welcome you due to protocol reasons, she has designated the future King of the United Kingdom, Crown Prince Charles, to welcome you on behalf of the Royal Family.”

The General Secretary was indeed a leader of great wisdom and was not formalistic.

Of course, the United Kingdom extended a very high level of hospitality to the General Secretary, with an official invitation from Prime Minister David Cameron and a meeting with the General Secretary, Crown Prince Charles welcoming him at his residence, a courtesy call from the Speaker of the House of Commons, and the Foreign Secretary hosting a banquet on behalf of the Government.

Unexpectedly, 10 years later, my jest became a reality with the coronation of King Charles III in May 2023.

A simple gift

Another unexpected and interesting point was that, many months later, my wife and I were invited to a State Banquet hosted by the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

Prime Minister David Cameron, who was chatting with members of the Royal Family, the Cabinet, and the Diplomatic Corps, saw us and told everyone: “I was just talking about relations with Vietnam. Do you know, I am still very impressed by Mr. Nguyen Phu Trong’s visit.

I was amazed at how much common ground we could find and share, both in terms of values and key concerns and interests, between me—a leader of a capitalist country, the head of a long-standing conservative party in Europe, and the leader of the ruling Communist Party in Vietnam—General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. We had a very intimate and valuable conversation. We are truly each other’s reliable strategic partners.”

If there was anything that still concerns me, it’s that we gave him a gift that was too simple. Usually, we would find a local specialty to present as a souvenir to our leaders—not of financial or material value but symbolic for commemoration.

However, when I consulted his assistant, Mr. Vu Dung, he informed me that the General Secretary was wearing a very old pair of shoes with worn-out soles, struggling to cope with the cold in Europe. If possible, the Embassy should give him a pair of warm shoes with rubber soles that are non-slip so he could wear them during the visit.

Exactly six years later, in February 2019, I had the honor of welcoming him again on a State visit to Cambodia, this time with the special title of General Secretary and President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, at the invitation of King Norodom Sihamoni.

This was one of the only two State visits so far where the General Secretary held both titles (the second visit was to Laos, right before this visit to Cambodia).

This visit was exceptionally successful in every aspect, and King Norodom Sihamoni, Queen Mother Norodom Monineath, Prime Minister Hun Sen, senior leaders of Cambodia, the Supreme Patriarchs, and the Cambodian people gave him and the delegation the most heartfelt, sincere, and respectful reception.

Especially with the Joint Declaration between Vietnam and Cambodia announced on this occasion, the close and loyal relationship between the two nations was elevated to a new height.

I was also very touched and grateful to him because, throughout the very busy and packed official visit, he was always concerned about the legal status and lives of Vietnamese people in Cambodia.

Together with Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the time, he understood and strongly supported a series of bold, revolutionary recommendations from the Embassy regarding Vietnam’s policies and support for the Vietnamese community in Cambodia, especially focusing on shifting from teaching Vietnamese to teaching Khmer to help them integrate successfully into local society, and concentrating on helping them transition to new occupations instead of relying on the natural river environment.

As he had done six years before in London, he continued to listen to the suggestions of officials and party members. When I said, “We are very happy to welcome you for the first time with both titles. This State visit of the General Secretary and President is truly a historic milestone and opens a new chapter not only for the strategic relationship between the two countries but also for Vietnam’s revolutionary cause in general and for foreign affairs and international integration in particular.”

He warmly held my hand and said, “Our system has some specific characteristics, you know. Important decisions are carefully considered in all aspects, depending on the actual situation at each time, based on solidarity and unity according to the Party’s division of labor, and always following the principle of collective leadership.”

Another profound memory related to Cambodia and the General Secretary was when I accompanied him on an official visit to Cambodia in July 2017.

In Sihanoukville, while preparing the room for his meeting with the staff at the Consulate General and the Vietnamese community, the General Secretary arrived early while we were still arranging the furniture. Unexpectedly, he walked into the room and started helping us move the tables and chairs, to the amazement of everyone.

We still reminisce about this unforgettable memory and hope for many more occasions to roll up our sleeves and arrange furniture together for warm and intimate conversations, just like in a family.

Vu Quang Minh

(Vietnamese Ambassador to Germany - Former Ambassador of Vietnam to the United Kingdom and Ireland, and to the Kingdom of Cambodia)