Hanoi: The first of several funeral ceremonies began in Vietnam on Thursday for the long-time leader of the country’s Communist Party, Nguyen Phu Trong, who passed away at the age of 80.
The first day of the two-day state funeral was marked by a half-mast flag ceremony at Hanoi’s Ba Dinh Square. Flags also flew at half-mast at all party and government agencies as well as at companies, business centres and public locations throughout the country. Tens of thousands of people queued to pay tribute to Trong. His coffin is on display in the National Funeral Hall.
US President Joe Biden said Trong was a champion of the deep ties between the American and Vietnamese people, and that his leadership helped nurture the friendship between the two former foes. (DPA)
