Politics

Special communiqué on former President Le Duc Anh’s passing away

The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee, the National Assembly, the President, the Government and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee have issued a special communiqué, announcing that former President General Le Duc Anh passed away at 20:10 on April 22, and his funeral will be held as a national mourning.
 
Special communiqué on former President Le Duc Anh’s passing away ảnh 1Former President Le Duc Anh (Photo: VNA)

Hanoi (VNA) – The Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV)Central Committee, the National Assembly, the President, the Government and theVietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee have issued a special communiqué,announcing that former President General Le Duc Anh passed away at 20:10 onApril 22, and his funeral will be held as a national mourning.

Comrade Le Duc Anh was born on December 1, 1920 in Loc An commune, Phu Loc district,the central province of Thua Thien – Hue. He started participating inrevolutionary activities in 1937 and joined the Communist Party of Vietnam in May1938.

He was member of the Party Central Committee of the 4th, 5th,6th, 7th and 8th tenures; secretary of Party Central Committee of the 7thtenure; and Politburo member of the Party Central Committee of the 5th, 6th,and 7th and 8th tenures.

He was President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from September 1992 toDecember 1997, and adviser of the Party Central Committee from 1997 to April2001.

Hewas elected to the National Assembly in the 6th, 8th and 9th tenures.

After a period of illness, despite the wholehearted care by the Party, State,medical group and his family, he passed away at 20:10 on April 22, 2018, ofserious illness and old age at his home on Hoang Dieu street in Hanoi.

Over more than 80 years of his revolutionary activities, comrade Le Duc Anh madegreat contributions to the glorious revolution cause of the Party and the nation.He was awarded with the Golden Star, the first-class Military Exploit Order, the first-classFeat of Arms Order, an insignia of 80-year Party membership, and manyother noble Vietnamese and international orders and medals.

In memory of comrade General Le Duc Anh, the Central Committee of the CommunistParty of Vietnam, the National Assembly of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam,the President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Government of theSocialist Republic of Vietnam, and the Central Committee of the VietnamFatherland Front decided to hold the funeral of comrade General Le Duc Anh withthe national mourning etiquette.

Followingis the biography of comrade General Le Duc Anh, former Politburomember, former President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, former PartyCentral Committee adviser:

ComradeLe Duc Anh (alias Nguyen Phu Hoa; Sau Nam), was born on December 1, 1920 in LocAn commune, Phu Loc district, the central province of Thua Thien – Hue, andresided at No.5 Hoang Dieu street, Quan Thanh ward, Ba Dinh district of Hanoi.He joined the revolution in 1937 and became a Party member in May, 1938.

In August 1945, the time of the August Revolution, he was military commander ofThu Dau Mot province and a member of the provincial Party committee.

From 1948 to 1954, he served as chief of staff of the Military Zone 7, MilitaryZone 8, Sai Gon-Cho Lon Military Zone, and deputy chief of staff of the Nam Bo(south) Command.

From 1955 to 1962, he was deputy chief of the Department of Operations underthe General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army (VPA), then deputy chief andchief of the Department of Personnel.

In August 1963, he became deputy chief of the VPA’s General Staff.

In August1965, he became chief of the staff of the Southern Command.

In1968, he served deputy commander of the Southern Command.

In April1974, he was promoted from Colonel to Lieutenant General of the VPA.

In1975, he was deputy commander of the Ho Chi Minh Campaign.

In May 1976, he was appointed as commander and of Military Zone 9. At thefourth Party National Congress in December 1976, he was elected to the PartyCentral Committee

In June 1978, he was appointed as commander and political commissar of MilitaryZone 7, and member of the Central Military Commission.

In 1981, he was promoted to Senior Lieutenant General, and then appointed asdeputy minister of National Defence and commander of the Vietnamese voluntarysoldier force in Cambodia. At the fifth Party National Congress in March 1982, hewas elected to the Party Central Committee and member of the Politburo.

InDecember 1984, he was promoted to General of the VPA.

At the sixth Party National Congress in December 1986, he was elected to theParty Central Committee, and elected as Politburo member, and served as deputydefence minister and chief of the General Staff of the VPA.

InFebruary 1987, he became defence minister and vice secretary of the Party’sCentral Military Commission.

On September 23, 1992, he was elected as president of the Socialist Republic ofVietnam by the 9th National Assembly.

FromDecember 1997 to April 2001, he was an adviser to the Party Central Committee.

He was member of the Party Central Committee of the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th tenures; secretary of Party Central Committee of the 7th tenure; and Politburo member of the Party Central Committee of the 5th, 6th, and 7th and 8th tenures; President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam from September 1992 to December 1997, and adviser of the Party Central Committee from 1997 to April 2001, and Deputy to the National Assembly of the 6th, 8th and 9th tenures. 

In recognition of his significant contributions to the glorious revolution cause of the Partyand the nation, he was awarded with the Golden Star; the first-class Military Exploit Order;first-class Feat of Arms Order; an insignia of 80-year Party membership;and many other noble Vietnamese and international orders and medals.

A 39-memberfuneral board for comrade General Le Duc Anh has been set up, including Party General Secretary andPresident Nguyen Phu Trong, head of the board; Politburo member and PrimeMinister Nguyen Xuan Phuc; and Politburo member and Chairwoman of the NationalAssembly Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan; and other Politburo members and Party CentralCommittee members.

Thefuneral of comrade General Le Duc Anh will be organised with the nationalmourning etiquette.

Hewill be laid in state at the National Funeral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh TongStreet, Hanoi.
 
Therespect-paying ceremony will be held from 7am-11am on May 3 at the NationalFuneral Hall, No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong street, Hanoi.

Thememorial service will be held at 11am on May 3 at the National Funeral Hall,No. 5 Tran Thanh Tong Street, Hanoi. The burial ceremony will take place at 5pmon the same day at the Ho Chi Minh City Cemetery.

Atthe same time, the respect-paying and memorial ceremonies for comrade GeneralLe Duc Anh will also be held at the Thong Nhat Hall in Ho Chi Minh City and thehall of the People’s Committee of Thua Thien-Hue.

TheVietnam Television (VTV) and Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) will broadcastlive the ceremonies in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

Duringthe two-day national mourning on May 3-4, national flags will be flown athalf-mast at offices and public places, and recreational and entertainmentactivities will be stopped.-VNA
VNA
#former President General Le Duc Anh #national mourning #Communist Party of Vietnam #President of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam #Vietnam #Vietnam news #Vietnam News Agency
Follow VietnamPlus

Related News

Former President Le Duc Anh passes away

Former President Le Duc Anh passes away

Former Politburo member and former President Le Duc Anh passed away at 20:10 on April 22 at his house on Hoang Dieu street in Hanoi due to illness and old age, according to the National Commission of Health Services for Senior Officials.

See more

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietn Nam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam (left) meets with Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. during his visit to the Philippines in June 2026 (Photo: VNA)

Congratulatory messages mark 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Philippines diplomatic ties

General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) Central Committee and State President To Lam and Prime Minister Le Minh Hung sent congratulatory messages to Philippine President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Philippines (1976-2026).

Speakers at a panel discussion on Vietnamese language teaching and learning in Thailand. (Photo: VNA)

People-to-people, cultural ties strengthen Vietnam-Thailand friendship

Delivering a keynote speech on the future of Thailand-Vietnam relations after five decades of diplomatic ties, Vietnamese Ambassador to Thailand Pham Viet Hung underscored the important role of universities not only in preserving shared history but also in shaping the future of the bilateral partnership through education, research and people-to-people connections.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung welcomes Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis in Hanoi on July 17 (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam values traditional friendship with Greece: FM

To deepen practical cooperation, Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung proposed increasing exchanges at all levels, especially high-level visits, while strengthening coordination and mutual support at multilateral forums, particularly as Greece serves as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the 2025–2026 term.

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam present greeting flowers to the People'sPolice force on the occasion of the 64th anniversary of the force's traditional day (Photo: VNA)

Top leader asks for building stronger, more modern people's police force

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam highlighted the country's recent socio-economic achievements, recognising the significant contributions by the People's Public Security force, particularly the People's Police, senior police leaders over different periods and the Association of Former People's Public Security Officers through grassroots movements safeguarding national security.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung chairs a government meeting with the business community in Hanoi on July 18 (Photo: VNA)

PM urges stronger development foundations for sustainable growth

Opening the event, the PM underscored the significance of the meeting, saying that it is the first engagement between the new-term government’s members and the business community - the vanguard on the economic front, playing a key role in driving growth, generating employment, and enhancing national competitiveness.

Prime Minister Le Minh Hung (R) receives Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs George Gerapetritis in Hanoi on July 17. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam–Greece ties still hold considerable untapped potential: PM

PM Le Minh Hung recommended that the two sides step up all-level exchanges and meetings, especially those at high level, make full use of the existing cooperation mechanisms, expand collaboration in the economy, trade and investment, and effectively implement the EU–Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam offers incense at the memorial stele dedicated to heroic martyrs. (Photo: VNA)

Identifying fallen soldiers a sacred responsibility towards Fatherland: Top leader

Party General Secretary and State President To Lam stressed that every set of remains recovered represents far more than a technical achievement. It marks the return of a son or daughter to the Fatherland and to his/her family, the restoration of a missing chapter of history, and a reaffirmation of the country's enduring tradition of remembering those who served the nation.

Representatives of the liaison committee of veterans of Battalion 261 - Giron in Ho Chi Minh City present a commemorative photo to Mauricio Alejandro Martínez Duque, Consul General of Cuba in the city. (Photo: VNA)

Get-together marks 73rd anniversary of Cuba’s Moncada Barracks attack

Building on the long-standing friendship between Vietnam and Cuba, the Vietnam–Cuba Friendship Association in Ho Chi Minh City has worked closely with the Consulate General of Cuba in Ho Chi Minh City to organise a wide range of activities in recent years, including gatherings marking major national anniversaries, cultural and artistic exchanges, and programmes connecting organisations and localities from the two countries

National Assembly Vice Chairman Nguyen Khac Dinh addresses the fourth session of the National Assembly (NA) Standing Committee on July 17, 2026. (Photo: VNA)

Modern criminal justice system proposed under revised Criminal Procedure Code

The revised code proposes more progressive procedural rules to enhance adversarial proceedings, tighten power oversight and better protect human and citizens' rights. It will retain effective existing provisions, amend or repeal outdated regulations, and introduce new procedures to expedite case handling, reduce procedural costs and improve efficiency while ensuring fairness, objectivity and greater protection of the lawful rights and interests of organisations and individuals. It also aims to modernise criminal proceedings through the wider application of digital technologies and closer alignment with international practices.

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang has a working session with Vietnamese associations in Udon Thani province, northeastern Thailand, on July 16. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnamese community in Thailand urged to strengthen friendship bridge

Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Thi Thu Hang commended the unity and sense of responsibility shown by the Vietnamese community in Udon Thani and across Thailand, urging them to continue preserving the Vietnamese language and cultural identity while helping build a positive image of Vietnamese people and contributing to bilateral relations.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang (R) and Minister in charge of the General Secretariat of the Mauritanian Government Moctar Al Housseynou Lam. (Photo: baochinhphu.vn)

Vietnam seeks Mauritania’s role as bridge to African Union for deeper ties

Vietnam expects Mauritania to act as a bridge for substantive cooperation between Vietnam and the African Union (AU), said Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence Gen. Phan Van Giang during a reception in Hanoi on July 16 for Minister in charge of the General Secretariat of the Mauritanian Government Moctar Al Housseynou Lam.

Minister of Foreign Affairs Le Hoai Trung (R) and Minister in charge of the General Secretariat of the Mauritanian Government, Moctar Al Housseynou Lam. (Photo: VNA)

Vietnam treasures traditional friendship with Mauritania: FM

The two officials agreed to continue their long-standing coordination at multilateral forums, including the Francophonie, while reinforcing practical collaboration with regional organisations such as ASEAN and the AU, for the benefit of their people and for peace, stability and development in their respective regions and globally.