The Vietnam UK Network was sad to learn of the passing away on 19 July of Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong. General Secretary Trong had held the position of General Secretary for 13 years, as well as other important leadership roles in Vietnam as President and Chairman of the National Assembly over a long period.
During the time of General Secretary Trong’s leadership, he oversaw continued economic growth of Vietnam and a strengthening of the bilateral relationship with the UK. Nguyen Phu Trong was the first General Secretary of the Vietnamese Communist Party to visit the UK in January 2013. During this historic visit he witnessed the official launch of the Vietnam UK Network at the Embassy of Vietnam in London on 22 Jan 2013 in the presence of then Ambassador Vu Quang Minh, Ben Chapman (Chair of the Network), Warwick Morris, Paul Smith and various other supporters of the UK – Vietnam relationship.
The Network sends its sincere condolences to the people of Vietnam, its government and its counterpart friendship associations in Vietnam.
