"General Giap is a great military strategist"

These days, leaders of many countries around the world and international public opinion continue to express their condolences over the passing of General Vo Nguyen Giap and praise the General as a "great military strategist," "a symbol of courage and integrity" but always maintaining a spirit of "modesty, simplicity and charity."

In response to the great loss of the Vietnamese people, President of the Republic of Algeria Abdelaziz Bouteflika sent a message of condolences to President Truong Tan Sang, emphasizing that the name of the General - the military hero of Vietnam's independence and the one who caused the French colonialists to panic at Dien Bien Phu - "will forever be engraved in the memory of the Algerian people."

Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika. (Source: Reuters)

In his telegram, President Bouteflika wrote: "The passing of General Vo Nguyen Giap is a great loss not only for you, the Vietnamese people, but also for us, the Algerians. The General's great contributions to Vietnam's independence and national unity are a precious legacy that current and future generations of Vietnamese people need to preserve and protect."

President Bouteflika also expressed his condolences, affirming that "history will record the General's lifelong contributions to the Fatherland and people of Vietnam."

Meanwhile, on the afternoon of October 7, leaders of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party and the Lao State sent condolences to Vietnamese leaders.

The telegram reads: "General Vo Nguyen Giap is a brave, steadfast revolutionary, loyal to the revolutionary cause of the country and people of Vietnam, an excellent and close student of the great President Ho Chi Minh, the first General of Vietnam, the Commander-in-Chief of the heroic Vietnam People's Army, respected and loved by the Vietnamese people and international friends for his bravery and talent in commanding the battle to defeat foreign invaders, bringing complete independence to the fraternal Vietnamese people.

He is the one who has always made positive and great contributions to nurturing, building and developing the great friendship, special solidarity and comprehensive cooperation between Vietnam and Laos."

The Central Committee of the Lao People's Revolutionary Party also said it will send a high-ranking delegation led by General Secretary and President of Laos Chummaly Saynhasone to Vietnam to attend the funeral of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

Prime Minister Thongsinh Thammavong and many members of the Politburo will visit the Vietnamese Embassy in Laos to pay their respects to the General.

(Long lines of people lining up to pay their respects to General Vo Nguyen Giap. Source: VNA)

In an interview with a VNA reporter in Havana, famous Cuban journalist Marta Rojas, who visited Vietnam many times during the resistance war against the US to save the country, fighting side by side with liberation soldiers to convey information about the just struggle of the Vietnamese people to people in Cuba and Latin America, was extremely moved when mentioning the "big brother" of the Vietnam People's Army.

She confided that like many other Cubans who had the opportunity to meet and listen to the General speak, she felt as if she had just lost a loved one. Through the General's stories about the war in Vietnam as well as his firm belief in the final victory of the struggle, the Cuban journalist realized that he was a person who clearly understood the strengths and weaknesses of the enemy, but at the same time was always calm and confident in the strength of national unity, and that was the weapon that helped this legendary general defeat the most powerful opponents.

In the eyes of this veteran female journalist, General Vo Nguyen Giap was not only an outstanding military strategist and a responsible political activist, but he was also a humble, simple, kind, and charitable person.

She affirmed that the General is a great example for generations of Vietnamese and peace-loving peoples in the world because of his great contributions to the cause of liberation in Vietnam, and is also a source of encouragement for revolutionary movements and oppressed peoples in the world to stand up and fight for a just cause.

Meanwhile, Mr. Chia Teck Keng, Vice President of the Singapore Veterans Association, paid tribute to General Vo Nguyen Giap, calling him an "idol" of all those in the armed forces.

Recalling the meeting between the General and Vietnamese and Singaporean veterans in Hanoi in 1995, Mr. Keng said that through the General's stories about the military as well as his views on the war in Vietnam during the resistance wars against France and the US, he was truly impressed by the General's leadership and ability in conducting the war as well as his ability to lead the Vietnamese people to gain independence and democracy.

According to him, General Vo Nguyen Giap left behind strength and resilience for the country and extremely valuable lessons for younger generations about sacrifice and responsibility in serving Vietnam.

Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs assessed General Vo Nguyen Giap as the person who "played a pivotal role in Vietnam's fight for independence."

Previously, on October 6, the Singaporean Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong sent a message of condolences to Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung on the passing of General Vo Nguyen Giap.

In recent days, Singapore's leading newspapers such as "The Straits Times", "Today" and major Singapore news networks such as Channel News Asia have published many articles praising General Vo Nguyen Giap as a "military strategist", "architect of military feats" and "legendary General" of Vietnam.

Singaporean media also published many articles and photos of thousands of Vietnamese people lining up to burn incense and pay their respects to the General at his private home./.

According to VNA - LT