The authorities have received condolences sent early on by the top leaders of Laos, China, Cambodia, Cuba and Russia. In the last hours others were welcomed from the chairman of the Presidium of the Central Committee of the Japanese Communist Party (JCP), Shii Kazuo, and that of the general secretary of the United Left Movement Party (MIU) of the Dominican Republic, Miguel Mejia.

Kazuo described the Vietnamese leader, who died last Friday in Hanoi after a period of serious illness and due to his advanced age, as a friend with whom he could talk openly and honestly about any subject and any field.

Mejia, in turn, told the Vietnamese news agency VNA his deep sorrow for the death of Phu Trong, which he considered ‘a great loss for the Vietnamese people and international friends’.

The MIU leader recalled that in his meetings with the VCP General Secretary, he was impressed by both the humble leader’s political vision and his persistence in inspiring people fighting for the freedom and self-determination rights of their nations.

Others who mourned the sad event were the head of the French Communist Party, Fabian Roussel, and the former chairman of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Bohemia and Moravia and former deputy speaker of the Chamber of Deputies of the Czech Parliament, Vojtech Filip.

Meanwhile, in Sri Lanka, the national flag is flying at half-mast at the headquarters of the Communist Party, whose general secretary, Dr. G. Weerasinghe, described Phu Trong as an inspiring revolutionary leader who promoted the spirit of the Vietnamese revolution and helped shape the development of socialism in his country in the modern era.

South Korean writer Cho Chul-hyeon, author of the first book on Vietnam’s top Party leader published abroad, noted that he was an eminent disciple of President Ho Chi Minh and devoted his whole life to the prosperity of the nation as well as Party building.

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