A high-level delegation of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) and the Vietnamese State arrived in Vientiane on May 18 to attend the burial ceremony of the Lao officials who passed away in an accident on their working trip.

The delegation was led by Le Hong Anh, Politburo member and permanent member of the CPV Central Committee’s Secretariat. Delegates included Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister; Senior Lieutenant General Do Ba Ty, Party Central Committee member, Chief of the General Staff of Vietnam People’s Army and Vice Minister of Defence; Senior Lieutenant General Dang Van Hieu, Party Central Committee member and Permanent Vice Minister of Public Security; Le Hoang Quan, Party Central Committee member and Chairman of Ho Chi Minh City People’s Committee; Ngo Thi Doan Thanh, Party Central Committee member and Chairwoman of Hanoi People’s Council; Nguyen Manh Hung, Vietnamese Ambassador to Laos; among others.

The delegation laid wreaths at the coffins of Lao People’s Revolutionary Party (LPRP) Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Douangchay Phichit; LPRP Central Committee’s Secretary and Minister of Public Security Thoongbane Sengaphone; LPRP Central Committee’s Secretary and head of the LPRP Central Committee’s Commission for Propaganda and Training Cheuang Sombounkhane; LPRP Central Committee’s Secretary and Secretary of the Party Committee and Governor of Vientiane Sukhan Mahalad and other senior officials.

Writing in the memorial book, the Vietnamese officials expressed deep sympathy to the Lao side over the officials’ deaths, which they said is a great loss to the Party, State, National Assembly and Government of Laos as well as to their families. They also said the Vietnamese leaders and people suffer from the loss of their close comrades and friends who made active contributions to consolidating and developing the traditional friendship and special solidarity between the two nations.

Later, the Vietnamese delegation was received by the Lao Party General Secretary and President Chummaly Saynhasone.

On behalf of the delegation, Le Hong Anh conveyed to the Lao side the deepest sympathy from the CPV Central Committee, National Assembly and Government of Vietnam, as well as from Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Truong Tan Sang, Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung and National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Sinh Hung over the deaths of the Lao officials.

Anh expressed his belief that the Lao Party, State, National Assembly, Government and people will overcome the pain to continue with the cause of national construction and defence.

The Lao Party Secretary General and President thanked the Vietnamese Party and Government for their message of condolences and the sending of the delegation to the burial ceremony for the deceased officials. He affirmed that the Lao people will turn their sorrow into actions to fulfil the tasks set by the 9th Congress of the LPRP.

Also on the occasion, Politburo member, Deputy Prime Minister and Chairman of the Vietnam-Laos Cooperation Sub-Committee Nguyen Xuan Phuc; Politburo member, Party Central Committee’s Secretary and head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for Popularisation and Education Dinh The Huynh; Politburo member and Defence Minister Phung Quang Thanh; Politburo member and Minister of Public Security Tran Dai Quang; Politburo member and Secretary of Hanoi Party Committtee Pham Quang Nghi; Party Central Committee member, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Binh Minh; and Party Central Committee member and head of the Party Central Committee’s Commission for External Relations Hoang Binh Quan sent messages of condolences to the Lao side.

The Lao officials died when their plane crashed in Nadi village, Pec district in Xieng Khouang province on May 17 morning.-VNA