Respect-paying and memorial ceremonies for former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee Do Muoi, who passed away on October 1, have been organised at the Vietnamese Embassies across the world.

Representatives from the Lao Embassy in China pay tribute to former Party General Secretary Do Muoi

The agencies have also opened books of condolences and flown the Vietnamese flag at half-mast.

At the ceremony in Beijing on October 6, General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Li Zhanshu, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Wang Yang sent wreaths to show tribute to the Vietnamese leader.

On behalf of the Chinese Party and Government, Yang Jiechi, Politburo member and Director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, paid respect to Do Muoi at the Vietnamese Embassy. Extending his condolences over the passing away of the leader, Yang shared his sympathy over the great loss of the Vietnam Party, State and people.

He affirmed that China is willing to work with the Vietnamese side to promote their time-honoured friendship and make the bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership grow further.

On the same day, the Vietnamese Consulate General in Shanghai, China held a funeral for Do Muoi.

Consuls General and representatives of Laos, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and Belarus in the city paid homage to the Vietnamese leader. Indonesia’s Acting Consul General Wandi Adriano wrote on the condolence book that: “former Party General Secretary Do Muoi is renowned in the world as a veteran in the revolutionary movement and a leader respected by the people”.

Representatives from the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, authorities of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, and foreign representative offices, and Consuls General of ASEAN member states in Hong Kong paid tribute to the former Party chief at the Vietnamese Consulate General in Hong Kong.

Deputy Commissioner of the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Song Ruan wrote: “On behalf of the Office of the Commissioner of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, I would like to extend my greatest sympathy over the death of former General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee Do Muoi. He had made outstanding contributions to the development of the China-Vietnam relations. We will remember him forever”.

In these days, tribute-paying services were also held in Russia, Switzerland, South Africa, Italy, the Netherlands, Chile, Mexico and Mozambique.

Former Party General Secretary Do Muoi passed away in Hanoi on October 1 at the age of 101 due to serious illness. He served as General Secretary of the CPV Central Committee from June 1991 to December 1997,

According to the organising board of the State funeral, by 5:00pm of October 6, more than 1.500 delegations totaling over 50,000 people and more than 100 diplomatic delegations had paid their last respects to Do Muoi in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

The memorial service for him was held at 9:00am on October 7 in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, while the burial service will take place at 1:00pm at his home village on the outskirts of Hanoi.

Vietnam is observing two days of national mourning for him on October 6 and 7.-VNA