Vietnam to hold national mourning for late party chief Nguyen Phu Trong

HANOI -- Vietnam will hold a two-day state funeral for Nguyen Phu Trong, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, who passed away on July 19 at the age of 80, a special communique announced here on Saturday.

The communique was jointly issued by the CPV Central Committee, the National Assembly, the president, the government and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front.

During the national mourning on July 25-26, national flags will be flown at half-mast at state offices and public places, and recreational and entertainment activities will be suspended, Vietnam News Agency reported, citing the communique.

The respect-paying ceremony, the memorial service, and the burial ceremony will be held in the capital city of Hanoi.

At the same time, the respect-paying and memorial ceremonies for Trong will also be held in Ho Chi Minh City and at his native land in Dong Hoi commune, Dong Anh district, Hanoi City.

Trong died on Friday after a period of illness, the agency quoted Vietnam's board of health protection and care for central officials as saying.