Singapore leaders send condolences over death of late Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong
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SINGAPORE: Singapore's leaders have expressed their condolences to Vietnam following the death of Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said on Sunday (Jul 21).
Mr Trong, who led Vietnam for more than a decade overseeing rapid economic growth, died of old age and illness on Friday. He was 80.
“Throughout his lifetime, General Secretary Trong devoted himself to the upliftment of the Vietnamese people. Their greatly improved livelihoods and the country’s growing prosperity are testament to his work,” said President Tharman Shanmugaratnam in a letter dated Jul 20 and addressed to Vietnamese President To Lam.
He said Mr Trong’s dedication to stamping out corruption was a defining element of his leadership.
“My heartfelt thoughts are with the people of Vietnam and General Secretary Trong’s family during this difficult time,” said Mr Tharman.
Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, in a letter to Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh on Jul 20, noted that Mr Trong’s multi-decade career in the party, including 13 years as General Secretary, contributed significantly to the country’s rapid economic growth and improvements to the lives of its people.
“As General Secretary, his emphasis on party-building and dedication to stamping out corruption provided important direction for the reform and strengthening of the CPV and the State,” he said.
Mr Wong said Mr Trong was also a close friend of Singapore, whose visit to the country in September 2012 led to Singapore and Vietnam establishing a Strategic Partnership the following year.
“Please accept my deepest condolences during this difficult time,” said Mr Wong.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Dr Vivian Balakrishnan also paid tribute to Mr Trong, noting that under his leadership Vietnam rose to not only become a regional economic power, but also a “deft diplomatic actor”.
“With General Secretary Trong at its helm, Singapore’s relationship with Vietnam has flourished,” said Dr Balakrishnan in his letter to Chairman of the Commission for External Relations Le Hoai Trung.
“During his tenure, Singapore and Vietnam established a Strategic Partnership in 2013, celebrated 50 years of diplomatic relations last year, and commenced discussions on elevating our relations to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.
“Singapore and Vietnam share a deep relationship grounded by mutual trust, which is in no small part due to the strong support of General Secretary Trong and the Vietnamese leadership.”
“My thoughts are with you and the Vietnamese people during this difficult time,” he said.
