Vietnamese communities around Europe on October 12 organised memorial services for General Vo Nguyen Giap, who passed away on October 4 at the age of 103.

The Vietnamese Embassy in France held a memorial service for General Giap and placed funeral books that will remain until October 15.

From the early morning, Vietnamese Ambassador Duong Chi Dung and staff of the embassy joined overseas Vietnamese and foreign friends in Paris and neighbouring localities to solemnly offer incense to the Vietnamese national hero.

Patrice Jorlan, President of the France-Vietnam Friendship Association, recalled his memories of meeting General Giap while he was serving as a cultural and science-technological attaché at the French Embassy in Vietnam . In Jorlan’s mind, General Giap was a brilliant and confident man and a good listener.

Meanwhile, to former French Ambassador to Vietnam Claude Blanchemaison, he was a man of culture with great knowledge of the world.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Russia also held a memorial service for General Giap, with the attendance of a delegation from the Russian Government led by Deputy Foreign Minister Morgylov Igor Vladimirovich and the Russia-Vietnam Friendship Association led by its President Viktor Buyanov.

Buyanov wrote in the funeral book that all Russian people who had a chance to meet General Giap will never forget the image of the talented strategist, who made great contributions to the struggle of Vietnamese people against foreign invaders.

At a memorial ceremony held for General Giap by the Vietnamese Embassy in Belgium , President of the Belgian Chamber of Representatives Andre Flahaut expressed his respect, underscoring the huge impact he made on both Vietnam and the world.

During a ceremony to remember the revolutionary figurehead in Rome , Italy , Vietnamese Ambassador Nguyen Hoang Long said the General was loved by both Vietnamese people and international friends and will live on in their hearts and minds.

The legendary General has become a symbol of victory and an inspiration to nations battling opression, he said, adding that his death left a huge void.

The Vietnamese Embassy in Germany also organised a memorial service. Ambassador Nguyen Thi Hoang Anh reviewed the services that General Giap rendered to the revolution of the Party and nation.

Together with the Vietnamese community in Germany , many foreign diplomatic delegations and friends also came to pay tribute.

Vietnamese people living and studying in the UK on October 12 gathered at the Vietnamese Embassy in London to mourn.

Ambassador Vu Quang Minh said General Giap was a national hero and a military leader respected around the world. His death is a great loss to the Vietnamese people and international friends, he stated.-VNA