Memorial services hosted for former PM overseas
Vietnamese embassies in Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Mexico on March 20 and 21 held solemn memorial services for former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai who passed away last weekend, aged 85.
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| Vietnamese Embassy holds memorial service for former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai in the US |
The Lao Ambassador to Australia showed deep regrets over the death of the former PM, saying he was a beloved leader of Vietnamese people and a good friend of Laos. A diplomat from US Embassy recalled the former PM’s great contribution to the Vietnam-US relations as he was the first Vietnamese PM to pay an official visit to the US, hailing him as one who accelerated economic reform, bring prosperity to Vietnam.
Similar events took place in Vietnamese consulate general in Sydney and Perth.
In New Zealand, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Viet Dung conveyed his greatest condolences over the loss of former PM Phan Van Khai’s family at a memorial service held in Wellington.
During his ebullient time as a revolutionary since 1947, the former PM had held a number of leadership posts from grass-roots to central levels, both in wars and in peace, greatly dedicating to the national liberation, building and safeguarding. In office for nine years (from 1997-2000), Khai was praised as a leader that strongly pushed for Vietnam’s national reforms and international integration, the Ambassador wrote in the funeral book.
In Ottawa, Canada, Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Duc Hoa joined staff at the Embassy of Vietnam and Vietnam’s representative offices in one-minute silence in memory of former PM Khai on March 20.
Hoa wrote down on the funeral book, recalling Khai’s important achievements to promote the country’s “Doi moi” (Renewal) process and the development of the Vietnam-Canada relations. The former PM has gone but the Vietnam House at 85 Glebe Avenue forever preserves gifts he presented on an official visit to Canada in 2005.
The same day, ambassadors and diplomats from Greece, Iraq, and Thailand as well as representatives of the Communist Party (Marxist-Leninist) in Canada sent their condolences to the Vietnamese Embassy over Khai’s death while many diplomats from Qatar, Guyana, Slovenia, Canada, ASEAN and Vietnamese expats paid homage to him at the embassy.
The Embassy of Vietnam to Mexico also hosted an event to pay tribute to the former PM on March 20 and 21 with the attendance of ambassadors from Pakistan, Cuba, Algeria, Thailand, Peru and Malaysian chargé d’affaires.
