General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng. VNA/VNS Photo

Many politicians around the world have expressed their condolences to the Party, State and people of Vietnam over the passing of General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam (CPV) Central Committee Nguyễn Phú Trọng, and praised the role and contributions by the deceased to Việt Nam and the communist movement, the progressive world and left-wing politics globally.

Showing his grief at the Vietnamese leader’s passing, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stated that it leaves a huge void.

The leader told the Vietnam News Agency (VNA) that Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng's vision of maintaining strategic autonomy and promoting good governance in Việt Nam resonated deeply with himself personally when he met the leader in his official visit to Việt Nam in July 2023.

The Vietnamese Party leader's foresight on the relationship between Việt Nam and Malaysia will remain long, he said, stressing that Trọng's legacy will inspire future generations in Việt Nam and across Southeast Asia.

Meanwhile, in his letter of condolences to President Tô Lâm, Singaporean President Tharman Shanmugaratnam underscored that Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng's dedication to the fight against corruption is a decisive factor in his leadership role. The leader had a steadfast belief in Việt Nam's potential and worked tirelessly to ensure that the Party and Government of Việt Nam are in the best position to realise it, wrote the Singaporean President.

Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong stated that throughout his decades-long career, including 13 years as the General Secretary of the Communist Party of Việt Nam, Trọng's leadership greatly contributed to promoting Việt Nam's rapid economic growth and improving people's living conditions.

In an interview granted to the VNA in New Delhi, former Deputy National Security Advisor of India Satyendra Pradhan described Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng as a witted and experienced political leader and a strategic theorist. He is also a benevolent leader who cared about the welfare of his people, said Pradhan, adding that the General Secretary's contributions to redefining the relationship between ideology, economic issues, foreign policy, people's welfare and the activities of the CPV are remarkable, including an anti-corruption campaign implemented with significant results.

Pradhan held that Trọng made significant theoretical contributions to the Party by introducing much-needed reforms. Decision 244-QD/TW was a step to eliminate the monopoly of veteran members of the Politburo in nominating new members, he noted, stating that General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng made an important move to democratise the system without diluting the ideological foundation.

Another remarkable contribution of the Party leader is in the field of economy, Pradhan said. Trong once said that the market economy itself cannot destroy socialism. But to build socialism successfully, it is necessary to develop the market economy fully and properly, noted the former Indian official.

Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng provided a model that other countries should follow, which is granting certain freedom to market development and this has led to the establishment of a socialist-oriented market economy, said Pradhan. He noted that since 2016, Việt Nam's economy has improved significantly, with a stable annual growth rate at about 7 per cent. Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, the rate still reached 3 per cent . This is truly a miracle, he commented.

Pradhan asserted that the Trọng’s leadership played a key role in determining approaches to international and regional issues, adding his assessments of the current international environment are realistic and his proposals are based on realism, demonstrated through the term of "bamboo diplomacy".

Although Việt Nam has been taking a flexible and soft diplomacy to be suitable to all poles in the multipolar world, the policy is still closely tied to broader national interests towards peace and economic growth of the country and region. Việt Nam's foreign policy aims to maintain independence to protect the interest of the nation and people, making the best use of available opportunities and diplomacy to promote the interests of Vietnamese people, Pradhan stated.

He commented that Việt Nam’s “bamboo diplomacy” has brought about many benefits. Today it has good relations with all other countries, while gradually making moves towards peace in the region, he said, adding that Việt Nam's role in ASEAN and at the UN Security Council has significantly enhanced the country's stature.

In the recent past, Việt Nam welcomed three important leaders in the world - Russian President Vladimir Putin, Chinese President Xi Jinping, and US President Joe Biden. This reflects the success of the bamboo diplomacy, which has also helped deepen Việt Nam’s relationships with other countries, thereby improving people-to-people relations and human development in general, stated the former Indian official.

From Havana, Hero of the Republic of Cuba and President of the Cuban Institute of Friendship with the Peoples (ICAP) Fernando González Llort affirmed that Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng was a leader of great theoretical and practical significance, who made huge contributions to the global revolutionary cause with a political ideology along the path to socialism.

The ICAP President underlined that staunch communist Nguyễn Phú Trọng worked tirelessly to strengthen the traditional relationship between the peoples of Cuba and Việt Nam. He was always by Cuba's side during the most difficult times and spared no efforts to support the people of this brotherly island nation in all political and economic situations, he said.

The Cuban hero affirmed that in the hearts of the Cuban people, the image of General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng is always bold with simplicity, humility, noble personality, and wise leadership ability, who steered the boat of the Communist Party of Việt Nam through obstacles on its way to consolidating socialism and fighting for national development and modernisation.

He commented that Party General Secretary Nguyễn Phú Trọng is an excellent disciple of President Hồ Chí Minh, who always upheld President Hồ Chí Minh’s ideological guidelines as well as his wishes for the future through training and educating new generations, showing the qualities of world-class politicians. VNS