Former deputy PM Vu Khoan dies

The Central Committee on Health Care for Senior Governmental Officials said he died of old age. His funeral and other relevant procedures would be announced at a later date.

Vu Khoan began his career as an interpreter at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His job was to translate for officials and accompany delegations.

“I grew thanks to the fact that I was handed difficult and highly demanding jobs,” he said.

In 1990 he became the deputy foreign minister. He was elected into the Central Party Committee in 1991. He became the First Deputy Minister in charge of relations with Asia-Pacific countries in 1998, and became an Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary and the Minister of Trade in 2000.

He became the deputy prime minister on foreign economic relations, and the chairman of the National Committee on the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) in 2002.

In June 2006, he was approved for dismissal from his position as Deputy Prime Minister by the National Assembly due to health reasons. He retired in 2007.