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"I come here as your fellow student and as your teacher. There is no place for officials here. Please let me leave all dignitaries outside the door."
As a General Secretary, the highest leader of the country, but in the eyes of his fellow students, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong is always a close, lovable, modest and simple classmate.
Talking about the years studying together in the 8th class of the Faculty of Literature, Hanoi University with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, Mr. Tran Dinh Thao, former Deputy Head of the Domestic News Department - Vietnam News Agency, former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Tin Tuc Newspaper, former Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Le Courrier du Vietnam Newspaper and former Head of the News Agency's Resident Office in Hanoi, said those were very memorable days. He studied with General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong for 3 years before graduating early to become a reporter for Vietnam News Agency serving the battlefield.
“In my memory, Trong was a kind, gentle, kind, easy-going and studious student. Trong spoke softly, had a calm and thoughtful personality, so he was very loved by his friends and teachers. Teachers such as Professor Dinh Gia Khanh, Professor Nguyen Kim Dinh, teacher Nguyen Ngoc Son… all had very good impressions of him and highly appreciated him.”
In 1965, facing the threat of fierce enemy attacks on Hanoi, the University of General Sciences evacuated to Van Tho commune, Dai Tu district, Thai Nguyen province. Here, student Nguyen Phu Trong was raised by Loan's family for two years. "Those two years, he left a special affection for the people of Van Tho in general and Loan's family in particular. The people who raised him at that time are no longer around, but his children and grandchildren still remember and consider Trong as a relative in the family," Mr. Thao shared.
Reminiscing about his old friend, Mr. Thao said that despite being in the top position of the country, his old classmate was still very friendly and attentive to his friends. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong always accepted the invitation to any friend's child's wedding and took the time to congratulate him. In recent years, the 8th class of the Faculty of Literature of the former General University has held annual reunions. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong was a member who was very diligent in attending reunions, only missing when he was sick or busy with work.
“Every time there was a class reunion, he asked all the staff of the Central Party Office, his attendants, doctors, and security guards to stay outside. We were very touched when he said: "I come here as your fellow classmates and as your students. There is no place for officials here. Please let me leave all the dignitaries outside the door." Once, I jokingly asked him if he had paid the fund yet, he smiled softly and said he had paid in full, like everyone else," Mr. Thao said.
From the perspective of a journalist and a party member, closely following all economic and political situations of the country, and having years of direct responsibility for the permanent office of the News Agency in Hanoi during the period when General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong held the position of Secretary of the Hanoi Party Committee, Mr. Tran Dinh Thao commented that the achievements in the working life of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong have two very important things, becoming the brand, mark, and style of Nguyen Phu Trong.
The first is the fight against corruption. The General Secretary has organized, directed, and turned the fight against corruption into a fight of the entire Party, the entire people, and the entire army. Without the determination of General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, there would not have been cases where many Politburo members were forced to resign, disciplined, dismissed, or even imprisoned.
Second, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong has directed diplomatic work to achieve great achievements, harmonizing complex international relations, especially building and maintaining special friendly relations with the three great powers of Russia, China and the United States, which the General Secretary has summarized into the strategy of "bamboo diplomacy".
“From the great national affairs of the Party to the small things in the lives of his classmates 60 years ago, he was always dedicated and thoughtful. As a classmate, Nguyen Phu Trong was a very lovable friend. As a cadre and a Party member, I consider comrade Nguyen Phu Trong to be a steadfast and excellent cadre and leader of the Party. He has left an indelible mark in the hearts of cadres, Party members and the Vietnamese people during his more than 14 years in office as General Secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam. General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong can be completely proud of his contributions to the country, to the Party and to the Vietnamese people,” Mr. Tran Dinh Thao said emotionally.
VN (according to Vietnam+)