Foreign diplomats hail late Party chief’s role in Việt Nam’s modern history

Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng (left) meets with Cuban leader Fidel Castro (right) on April 11, 2012 during his official visit to the Caribbean country. VNA photo

HÀ NỘI – Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng holds an enormous role in the development and achievements of Việt Nam, in terms of both domestic and external affairs, said foreign diplomats who used to work in the country.

His passing leaves great sadness among international friends, especially the people of Cuba, former Cuban Ambassador to Việt Nam Fredesman Turro Gonzalez told the Việt Nam News Agency (VNA).

Fredesman described Trọng as a great friend of Cuba who was the Vietnamese leader visiting the Caribbean nation the most, for five times, in different positions.

He maintained personal relations with the key leaders of Cuba, always had a good grasp of the country’s situation, and worked to promote the sentiment of the Vietnamese people, especially the young, towards Cuba. He also promoted economic – trade ties along with the sharing of experience in economic development and political affairs between the two Parties, particularly in the field of ideology.

Recalling memories of the deceased, Fredesman said he had met and worked with Trọng many times, from when he acted as Editor-in-chief of the Communist Review to the times he served as Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, National Assembly Chairman, and Party General Secretary. The former ambassador always admired Trọng for his simplicity, cordiality, sharpness, and firmness in criteria.

Former Cuban Ambassador to Việt Nam Fredesman Turro Gonzalez. VNA photo

The diplomat perceived that under General Secretary Trọng’s leadership, the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) led the country to new and significant successes in socio-economic development, and work towards new goals, including to become a prosperous nation with upper-middle income in the time ahead.

Apart from a leader, Trọng was also an eminent scholar whose books give theoretical and practical explanations about the reform process as well as the transitional period towards socialism in Việt Nam, he added.

Echoing the view, Feda El Taify, Director of the Egyptian Public Libraries Fund and former Ambassador of Egypt to Việt Nam, said Party General Secretary Trọng was an excellent leader playing a substantial role in the modern history of Việt Nam. Under the leadership of the CPV headed by Trọng, Việt Nam obtained a number of important attainments and made many big miracles in various spheres, especially in economic, social, and diplomatic affairs.

He highly valued the late leader’s extremely important leadership over the development of Việt Nam’s cooperation and friendship with countries around the world such as Egypt, Arab countries, those in Africa, and many others worldwide.

Over the past years, the General Secretary and other leaders of Việt Nam have promoted the country’s prosperity in all fields, especially socio-economic aspects. Under the leadership of the CPV headed by Trọng, Việt Nam has made strong changes and made a considerable economic breakthrough.

Vietnamese goods have been exported to markets around the globe, and the country has emerged as an economy with enormous potential, El Taify said, voicing his admiration for the capitalisation of the Vietnamese people’s strength as seen in economic development miracles.

In terms of external relations, the former ambassador said that with a foreign policy of independence, self-reliance, and also flexibility that is called “bamboo diplomacy”, Việt Nam has become an extremely important member of the international community and a crucial economic and diplomatic partner in not only Asia but also the whole world.

He expressed his belief that those succeeding Trọng will continue upholding the General Secretary’s vision on Việt Nam’s development strategies.

For his part, John McCarthy, who served as Ambassador of Australia to Việt Nam between 1981 and 1983, perceived that under the Party General Secretary’s leadership, Việt Nam has shown a smart and flexible foreign policy, along with its consciousness of strategic independence and self-reliance.

He told the VNA that during Trong’s terms, Việt Nam has emerged to the top place among the Asian relations of Australia as seen in the two countries’ recent upgrade of bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership, which was a particularly important move.

Present in Việt Nam before the economic reform in the 1980s, McCarthy has witnessed the country transforming from a war-torn nation to an economy comparable to many others in the region. This is truly an admiring thing, he added.

Susan Boyd, another former Australian Ambassador to Việt Nam, said that at the time she worked in Việt Nam, from 1994 to 1998, the country was conducting “Đổi mới” (Renewal) and opening its economy to the world. Since then, especially in recent years, under General Secretary Trọng’s leadership, it has expanded relations in multiple areas, from politics and diplomacy to education and arts, with many countries.

Việt Nam has made use of the quickly expanding economy and broader political ties to develop and generate well-being for its people, according to the diplomat. VNA/VNS