US Secretary of State pays tribute to Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong

Blinken, along with a U.S. delegation sent by President Joe Biden, conveyed Biden’s condolences to the late leader’s wife Ngo Thi Man and the family on his passing, emphasizing that the leaders and officials of the U.S. government, as well as President Biden himself, always regarded General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as a friend and trusted partner.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken lights an incense to pay tribute to Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong at his home in Hanoi, July 27, 2024. Photo by VNA

With his vision and under his leadership, the friendship and relations between the two countries were nurtured and developed robustly, reaching the highest level of Comprehensive Strategic Partnership today, the U.S. official said.

Highlighting General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong as a model for reconciliation between the two countries and a builder of bridges between their people, Blinken affirmed that President Biden, the U.S. government, and the American people would always remember and honor his legacy with fond memories of his significant contributions to the historical cooperation between the two nations.

On behalf of the family, Man expressed her appreciation for the kind sentiments from the U.S., President Biden, and Secretary Blinken towards the Party General Secretary.

She shared that during his lifetime, the General Secretary was dedicated to fostering the Vietnam-U.S. relationship.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken extends his condolences to Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s wife Ngo Thi Man at their home in Hanoi, July 27, 2024. Photo by VNA

He and President Biden issued a joint declaration upgrading Vietnam-U.S. relations to the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership in September 2023.

Man believed that both sides will continue to effectively implement the Vietnam-U.S. Joint Declaration in September 2023 to further enhance and deepen the cooperative ties between the two countries for the benefit of their people.

On this occasion, Man extended her sincere thanks and best wishes for health to President Biden, his wife, and their family.

President To Lam, on behalf of Vietnamese Party and State leaders, hosted a reception on Saturday in Hanoi for Blinken, who conveyed Biden’s letter of condolences on the passing of Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Vietnam’s President To Lam (R) receives U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Hanoi, July 27, 2024. Photo by VNA

In the letter, President Biden reminisced about his first meeting with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong in Washington D.C. in 2015. He expressed his pride in having stood side by side with the General Secretary during his visit to Hanoi in 2023 where they together opened up a new era of cooperation between the two countries.

President Biden called this event a testament to the two countries’ shared desire for peace and prosperity for all and that it also reflected General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s determination to elevate the bilateral relations to the highest level, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership.

The U.S. President affirmed that the U.S. will never forget his leadership and fully supports a strong, resilient, and independent Vietnam to which General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong dedicated his life.

Secretary Blinken personally expressed his sorrow over the loss of a visionary leader and valued the General Secretary’s contributions to strengthening and fostering Vietnam-U.S. relations and the friendship between the two countries’ people.

President Lam conveyed his heartfelt thanks to President Biden for his kind sentiments and deep condolences over the passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, as well as to Secretary Blinken for traveling to Vietnam to offer condolences to the General Secretary’s family.

President To Lam shared that during his lifetime, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong highly valued developing relations with the U.S. and often spoke fondly of President Biden. The historic visit to the U.S. in 2015 by the Vietnamese Party leader provided a strong impetus for the two countries to develop vigorously and become Comprehensive Strategic Partners as they are today.

Secretary Blinken affirmed that the U.S. values its Comprehensive Strategic Partnership with Vietnam and looks forward to further deepening this important bilateral relationship. He expressed confidence that both sides will continue to uphold and nurture the Vietnam-U.S. relations, strengthening the friendship between the two people according to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s wishes.

The U.S. Secretary of State noted that the passing of the General Secretary is a great loss for the bilateral relations, and he affirmed that the U.S. government and people would always remember and honor General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s legacy, particularly his efforts to promote reconciliation and build a future of peace, stability, and prosperity for the region and the world.

On this occasion, President Lam and Secretary Blinken expressed their pleasure at the positive development in the bilateral relations in recent times across various fields, including politics-diplomacy, economy-trade-investment, security-defense, and war legacy remediation.

President Lam reaffirmed that Vietnam considers the U.S. a top strategic partner and welcomes the U.S.’s continued commitment to supporting a “strong, independent, resilient, and prosperous” Vietnam. He expressed the desire to closely coordinate in fulfilling the commitments of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and President Joe Biden to deepen and stabilize the new framework of relations.

Secretary Blinken thanked President Lam for his support of the good Vietnam-U.S. partnership and stressed that the U.S. regards Vietnam as a top partner in the region. He affirmed the U.S.’s commitment to working with Vietnam to further strengthen the bilateral relations and enhance cooperation in regional and international forums on shared concerns, contributing to promoting dialogue, peace, cooperation, and development in the region and the world, including frameworks such as the Mekong-U.S. Partnership, ASEAN, APEC, and the United Nations, for the common peace, stability, and prosperity of the region and the world.