ASEAN observes a minute of silence in memory of President Tran Dai Quang.
The meeting of ASEAN permanent representatives observed a minute of silence in memory of the President, and the association also sent condolences to his family.
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President Tran Dai Quang at a press conference in Hanoi in November 2017. Photo:Reuters. |
On behalf of ASEAN leaders, Singapore – the current ASEAN chair – today sent the association's condolences to the family of the President, the government, and the people of Vietnam, according to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
On September 26, at the 17th meeting of the Committee of Permanent Representatives to ASEAN in 2018, ambassadors, permanent representatives, and representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat observed a minute of silence in memory of President Tran Dai Quang. The ASEAN Secretariat in Jakarta, Indonesia, flew flags at half-mast from September 25-27 during the national mourning period for President Tran Dai Quang.
Leaders of countries and international organizations also sent letters and telegrams of condolences, including Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, Indian President Ram Nath Kovind, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, British Prime Minister Theresa May, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, and President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker.
"President Tran Dai Quang was a great patriot, politician, and a good friend of India," read a message from Indian President Kovind. "We will always remember his contributions to deepening the traditional friendship and multifaceted cooperation between Vietnam and India."
"President Tran Dai Quang made immense contributions to promoting Vietnam's international integration process, and his contributions are remembered by the Vietnamese people and the international community," wrote German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier.
President Tran Dai Quang passed away on the morning of September 21st at the Central Military Hospital 108 after a period of battling a serious illness. He was born in 1956 in Quang Thien commune, Kim Son district, Ninh Binh province. He was a member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, 10th term; a member of the Politburo, 11th and 12th terms, and served as Minister of Public Security before being elected President in April 2016.
The memorial service for President Tran Dai Quang began today at 7:00 AM at the National Funeral Home, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi. Many leaders and high-ranking foreign delegations, including those from Cambodia, Laos, China, South Korea, Cuba, and Russia, have come to pay their respects. The funeral ceremony will take place at 7:30 AM on September 27th, and the burial will be held at 3:30 PM on the same day at the President's hometown in Hamlet 13, Quang Thien Commune, Kim Son District, Ninh Binh Province.
