 Party and State leaders, former Party and State leaders prepare to pay their respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. (Photo: VOV)
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The funeral is being held at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, where his body is lying in state. The respect-paying ceremony is taking place from 7am to 10pm on Thursday and will continue from 7am to 1pm on Friday.
At the same time, respect-paying and memorial services for Mr. Trong will be held at Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City and in his native land in Dong Anh district, Hanoi.
The family of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, led by his wife Ngo Thi Man began the ceremony and entered the National Funeral Hall.
 General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's family, led by Mrs. Ngo Thi Man, wife of the General Secretary, pay their respects. Photo: VOV
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In a speech to begin the ceremony, Politburo member and Permanent Member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat Luong Cuong said: "After nearly 60 years of revolutionary activities, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong made great and outstanding contributions to the glorious revolutionary cause of the Party and the Vietnamese people. The General Secretary was awarded the Gold Star Order, the 55-year Party membership badge and many other noble orders and medals of Vietnam and internationally. The passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is an extremely huge and irreparable loss for the Party, the State, the people of Vietnam and his family. In memory of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front decide to hold the funeral of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong with the national mourning etiquette.”
 Politburo member and Permanent Member of the Party Central Committee's Secretariat Luong Cuong heads the Funeral Organizing Committee. Photo: VOV |
Afterwards, the delegation of the Party Central Committee headed by Politburo member and President To Lam paid their last respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
It was followed by the delegation of the Government of Vietnam led by Politburo member and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, the delegation of the President of Vietnam headed by Politburo member and President To Lam, the delegation of the National Assembly of Vietnam headed by Politburo member and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man, and the delegation of the Vietnam Fatherland Front led by Politburo Member and President of the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee Do Van Chien.
 In Ho Chi Minh City, the municipal Party Committee delegation is led by Secretary Nguyen Van Nen. Photo: VOV
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With his boundless sadness, Politburo member and State President To Lam wrote on the book of condolences at the respect-paying ceremony at the National Funeral Hall that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was a beloved person of the Vietnamese nation, a particularly excellent leader, a staunch communist, and a bright example who had tirelessly studied and followed President Ho Chi Minh's thought, morality and style, a greatly prestigious figure of the Vietnamese Party, State, and people, and also a great friend of the people around the world.
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong devoted his whole life to the nation, the Party, and the people. He also made many enormous contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation, the international communist movement, and the maintenance of peace, stability, and development in the region and the world, wrote President To Lam.
The State leader wrote that the name, career, personality and great contributions of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong are deeply engraved in the hearts of the people and forever enshrined in the glorious history of the civilized and heroic Vietnamese nation.
Bidding his last farewell to the Party General Secretary, Politburo member and Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh expressed gratitude to the great contributions and life-long sacrifices by the Party chief to the revolutionary cause of the people and the nation as well as the cause of Fatherland construction and defense in the new era. He promised to follow the General Secretary’s example, stay united and unanimous, and join hands together with the high determination and great efforts to overcome all difficulties and challenges and strive with all-out-effort to protect and make the socialist Vietnamese Fatherland strong and prosperous, and make the Vietnamese people happier and more well prosperous.
Politburo member and National Assembly Chairman Tran Thanh Man wrote that Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong dedicated time, efforts and intellect to renovate the organization and enhance the operational efficiency of the National Assembly, giving important guidance to the legislature to meet the political requirements and tasks of the country and the expectations and trust of voters and people nationwide. Man stressed that the leader’s passing is a great loss to the Party, State and people of Vietnam, leaving behind the boundless grief for his comrades, compatriots, family and international friends.
Representing the Central Steering Committee for Prevention and Control of Corruption and Negative Phenomena, Luong Cuong, Politburo member and Standing Member of the Party Central Committee’s Secretariat and Deputy Head of the Steering Committee, wrote in the funeral book that the Party leader's thought, morality, manner and lifestyle will always be a "guiding star" and an example for the entire Party, entire army, and entire people to study and follow, resolutely and persistently preventing and repelling corruption and negative phenomena, and building an increasingly pure and strong Party and State.
 In Lai Da Pagoda, people and the abbots solemnly set up an altar to commemorate General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo: VTCNews
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Simultaneously, respect-paying and memorial services for Mr. Trong are being held at Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City. Secretary of the Municipal Party Committee Nguyen Van Nen led the delegation of the City’s Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee and former Party and State leaders paid their last respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
In the General Secretary's hometown, in Lai Da village, Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi, since early this morning, many people have come to pay their respects to the Party leader. Along the road from Dong Hoi commune headquarters to Lai Da village, flags are hung at half-mast.
 The Cambodian delegation is headed by Chairman of the Cambodian People's Party and President of the Cambodian Senate Hun Sen. Photo: VOV
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 The Russian Federation delegation led by Vice Chairman of the State Duma Pyotr Tolstoy pays respect to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo: VOV
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 A delegation from the Lao People's Democratic Republic led by General Secretary and President of Laos Thongloun Sisoulith pays respect to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo: VOV
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 Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and Special Representative of General Secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Xi Jinping, pays respect General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo: VOV |
On Thursday morning, many countries sent representative delegations to pay their respects to General Secretary Trong at No 5 Tran Thanh Tong, Hanoi. President of the Cambodian People’s Party and President of the Cambodian Senate Hun Sen led a delegation to pay last respects to Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong.
The Cuban State Delegation led by President of the Cuban National Assembly Esteban Lazo Hernandez, the delegation of Indonesia led by Minister of Agriculture Andi Amran Sulaiman, and the delegation of the Republic of Korea led Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, special envoy of the President of the Republic of Korea, paid their respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
The Japanese delegation was led by Suga Yoshihide, former Prime Minister, special envoy of the Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio. Ms. Sue Lines, President of the Australian Senate, led the Australian delegation to pay their respects. The EU delegation was led by Joseph Borrell, Vice President of the European Committee and High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.
The delegation of India led by India's National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Minister of Veterans and Meritorious People of Algeria Laïd Rebiga paid their tribute to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Foreign delegations of Indonesia, Vanuatu, Algeria, Switzerland, North Korea and Myanmar came to pay last respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
 The delegation of Cuba is headed by Esteban Lazo Hernandez, Politburo member and President of the National Assembly of the Cuban People's Power. Photo: VOV
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A high-ranking delegation of the Party and State of Laos led by Party General Secretary and President Thongloun Sisoulith, paid tribute to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Accompanying him was his wife, Ms. Naly Sisoulith.
Wang Huning, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Special Representative of General Secretary and President Xi Jinping, led the Chinese Communist Party delegation to pay their respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
The delegation from the Russian Federation was led by Deputy Chairman of the Russian State Duma Pyotr Tolstoy and Vice Chairman of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Leonid Kalashnikov.
At the General Secretary’s hometown in Lai Da village, Dong Anh district, the Voice of Vietnam delegation led by Do Tien Sy, a member of the Party Central Committee and VOV President, paid tribute to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
 The European Union delegation is headed by Josep Borrell, Vice President of the European Commission, High Representative of the European Union for Security and Foreign Policy. Photo: VOV
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Nguyen Gia Thieu High School, Gia Lam district, Hanoi, where General Secretary Trong studied from 1957 to 1963, is holding a respect-paying ceremony attended by teachers and students.
 Officials, teachers, and students of Nguyen Gia Thieu High School observe a minute of silence to commemorate General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo: PV/Vietnam+
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At the Hanoi National Funeral Hall, the Central Public Security Party Committee delegation, led by Senior Lieutenant General Luong Tam Quang, Secretary of the Central Public Security Party Committee and Minister of Public Security, paid tribute to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. The Central Military Commission delegation, headed by General Phan Van Giang, Deputy Secretary of the Central Military Commission’s Party Committee and Minister of National Defense, and the delegation of the Central Steering Committee on Preventing Corruption and Negativity, led by Standing Committee of the Party Secretariat Luong Cuong paid their respects to Party leader Nguyen Phu Trong.
At the Government Guest House, located at No. 2 Le Thach Street, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi, a large number of ambassadors and representatives of various countries and international organizations came to pay respect and wrote in the book of condolences in memory of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
 A large number of dignitaries and officials of Tay Ninh Cao Dai Church attend the memorial ceremony for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. Photo: VOV |
According to initial statistics, as of 12 noon on Thursday, 189 delegations and over 5,000 people had paid tribute to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at Thong Nhat Hall, Ho Chi Minh City.
Meanwhile, as of 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, more than 110 domestic and international delegations paid respect to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall at No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong, Hanoi.
As the memorial service is open for the general public to pay their last respect to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, at 5:35 p.m. Thursday, Vietnamese people began scanning the QR code on their Citizen Identification Card or VNeID application to enter the National Funeral House and pay their respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.
People from various provinces and cities across the country, including Hung Yen, Hanoi, Quang Tri, and Ho Chi Minh City, came to offer incense and bid farewell to the General Secretary.
By late afternoon on Thursday, hundreds of domestic and international delegations and thousands of individuals had come to pay their respects to General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong at the National Funeral Hall in Hanoi, the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City, and his hometown in Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi.
During the two days of national mourning, units stationed on the Truong Sa archipelago and the DK1 platform simultaneously have organized for the national flag to fly at half-mast in remembrance of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.