International Diplomats Affirm General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's Role in Modern Vietnamese History

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The passing of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has left an immense sense of loss among international friends, especially the people of Cuba. This sentiment and respect were expressed by former Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Fredesmán Turró González in an interview with VNA correspondents in Cuba.

General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong visits Cuban leader Fidel Castro during an official friendship visit to Cuba, on the afternoon of April 11, 2012. (Archive photo: VNA)

"Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was a great friend of Cuba," said the former Cuban Ambassador. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was the Vietnamese leader who visited Cuba five times in various positions. He maintained personal relationships with key Cuban leaders, kept abreast of the situation in Cuba, and promoted the affection of the Vietnamese people, especially the youth, towards Cuba.

In his roles, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong always promoted the development of economic-trade relations, the exchange of experiences in economic development between the two countries, and the political work of the two Parties, especially in the ideological field.

"I met him in 1989 when I was the Counselor of the Cuban Embassy in Vietnam, and I arranged his trip to Cuba to attend an event of the theoretical agency of communist and leftist parties in Havana. At that time, Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was the Editor-in-Chief of the Communist Review. Later, we met many times when he was the Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, sometimes for work, other times by chance on the streets of Hanoi, where he liked to walk.

When he held the positions of Chairman of the National Assembly and General Secretary, I accompanied him on two official visits to Cuba as the Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam. I always admired him for his simplicity, affability; and sharpness and firmness in his principles. We last met in the summer of 2013, when I completed my second term as the Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam. He liked to call me by my Vietnamese name," shared the Cuban diplomat when recollecting memories of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

Assessing General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's role in leading and consolidating the Communist Party of Vietnam in recent years, former Ambassador Fredesmán stated that under his leadership, the Communist Party of Vietnam led the country to achieve new and significant successes in economic and social development, as well as setting new goals and tasks to make Vietnam a prosperous country with a high middle-income level in the near future.

According to him, besides his leadership role, "Comrade Nguyen Phu Trong was also an outstanding scholar. In his books, he not only provided theoretical and conceptual explanations of the renovation process in Vietnam but also the theory and practice during the transition to socialism".

Former Cuban Ambassador to Vietnam Fredesmán Turró González. (Photo: Le Ha/VNA)

Feda El Taify, Director of the Egyptian Public Library Foundation and former Egyptian Ambassador to Vietnam from 2010-2014 stated that General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was an outstanding leader who played a significant role in modern Vietnamese history.

Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam headed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam has achieved many important accomplishments and created numerous great achievements in various fields, especially in socio-economic and foreign affairs.

Sharing to VNA correspondents in Cairo about his impressions and admiration for General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, former Ambassador El Taify highly appreciated his crucial leadership role in developing cooperative and friendly relations between Vietnam and other countries around the world, exemplified by the good relationship between Vietnam and Egypt, Arab countries, African countries, and many other countries worldwide.

The former Egyptian Ambassador to Vietnam pointed out that domestically, in recent years, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other Vietnamese leaders have promoted Vietnam's prosperity in all areas, particularly in socio-economic aspects. Under the leadership of the Communist Party of Vietnam headed by General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam has transformed vigorously and achieved significant economic breakthroughs.

According to the former Egyptian Ambassador to Vietnam, Vietnamese goods are exported to markets worldwide and Vietnam has become an industrial nation with a robust economy. Ambassador El Taify expressed his admiration for the enhancement of the inner strength of the Vietnamese people, creating economic development miracles. He referred to this as the "Miracle on the Red River", comparing it to the "Miracle on the Hangang River" achieved by South Koreans.

In terms of foreign affairs, the former Ambassador noted that with an independent, self-reliant, but flexible foreign policy, known as "bamboo diplomacy," Vietnam has become a highly important member of the international community, a key economic and diplomatic partner not only in Asia but globally.

Former Ambassador El Taify is confident that the leaders succeeding General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong will continue to uphold his vision for Vietnam's development strategies.

When observing the country's developments to which he was once attached, John McCarthy, former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam in the 1981-1983 term, stated that under the leadership of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam has demonstrated a skillful and flexible external policy, reflecting a sense of independence and strategic autonomy.

Responding to VNA correspondents in Sydney about the relationship between Vietnam and Australia, former Ambassador John McCarthy noted that during General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong's terms, Vietnam has risen to a top position in Australia's relationships in Asia. This is evidenced by the recent decision by the leaders of the two countries to upgrade their relationship to a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which is a particularly significant decision.

Having been in Vietnam since before the economic reforms in the 1980s, the former Ambassador has witnessed Vietnam's transformation from a war-torn country to a country with significant development. The major cities in Vietnam have developed remarkably, and Vietnam's economy is now on par with many regional economies. According to former Ambassador John McCarthy, this is truly admirable.

According to former Australian Ambassador to Vietnam Susan Boyd (1994-1998 term), during her time in Vietnam, the country was implementing the "Doi Moi" (renovation period), opening its economy to the outside world. Vietnamese enterprises partnered with Western countries, including many Australian businesses and companies such as ANZ Bank, Telstra, and BHP Petroleum.

Since then, particularly in recent years, under the leadership of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Vietnam has expanded its relations in various fields with many countries worldwide, from politics, and diplomacy to education, and the arts. It can be said that Vietnam has taken advantage of changes and a rapidly expanding economy, as well as broader political relationships, to develop the country, bringing prosperity to its people. Vietnam's education system has developed with high educational standards, facilitating high-quality leadership, enhanced political leadership, and international links.

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