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President Tran Dai Quang passed away at 10:05am on September 21 in Hanoi at the age of 62 due to serious illness. He had served as the President of Vietnam since April 2016.
On September 24, the Lao Prime Minister’s Office announced two days of national mourning for the Vietnamese leader. It requested ministries, relevant agencies, and all localities to fly flags at half-mast from 6am on September 26 to 6pm on September 27, and to suspend all entertainment activities nationwide during this time.
General Secretary of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) and President of Laos Bounnhang Vorachith, on behalf of the LPRP Central Committee, the National Assembly, the Government, and the Central Committee of the Lao Front for National Construction, also sent a message of condolences to the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, the National Assembly, the Government, and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has also offered his profound condolences to Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, the Government of Vietnam, and the bereaved family.
The Premier said President Quang had devoted his entire life to the reform and construction of Vietnam, as well as greatly contributing to the China-Vietnam comprehensive strategic cooperation. His passing is a big loss to the Vietnamese people, as well as the bilateral relationship.
Li voiced his belief that under the steadfast leadership of the Vietnamese Party and Government, the Vietnamese people will turn their grief into strength and use it to make new achievements in the cause of socialism building.
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| Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (R) pays tribute to President Tran Dai Quang at the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand on September 24 (Photo: VNA) |
On September 24, Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha visited the Vietnamese Embassy in Thailand to pay tribute to President Quang.
In the condolence book, he wrote that, on behalf of the Government and people of Thailand, he would like to offer their sympathies and deepest condolences to the Government and people of Vietnam over the passing of President Quang.
The President’s contributions to Vietnam and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will always be remembered and respected, PM Prayut added.
He told Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Nguyen Hai Bang that he once met with President Quang and was impressed with the late leader’s dedication to the country. He hoped that the Vietnamese Government and people will overcome this loss to continue promoting the two countries’ relations.
Bang thanked the Thai PM and people for their sentiment and also appreciated the PM’s order that flags be flown at half-mast for three days, from September 24 to 26, at Government agencies and State-owned businesses in Thailand in commemoration of President Quang.
The same day, Thai Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai also paid respect to the late President of Vietnam at the Vietnamese Embassy in Bangkok.
On September 23, hundreds of Buddhist monks, nuns, and followers, as well as Vietnamese nationals in Laos attended a requiem in commemoration of President Tran Dai Quang at Phat Tich Temple in the capital city of Vientiane.
