Former Deputy PM Vu Khoan passes away

The experienced politician died at 07:05 on June 21 at centrally-run Military Hospital 108 in Hanoi due to his old age and illness, according to the agency in charge of health care for senior officials.

Vu Khoan, who hails from Hanoi’s Phu Xuyen district, was elected to the Party Central Committee (tenures VII, VIII IX), the Party Secretariat (tenure IX), and the National Assembly (tenure XI).

In 1990 he was appointed Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs. Eight years later he was assigned as first Deputy Minister in charge of relations with countries in the Asia-Pacific region, and relations with ASEAN, ASEM, and APEC, along with research work, economic cooperation, consular affairs, among others.

In 2000, he was appointed Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Ambassador by the State President. In January 2000, he was approved by the National Assembly to be appointed Minister of Trade.

Two years later, the National Assembly approved the appointment of the politician as Deputy Prime Minister in charge of international economic relations.

In June 2006, Vu Khoan was approved by the National Assembly to relieve him from the position of Deputy Prime Minister for health reasons. One year later he retired in Hanoi.

During his lifetime, he was awarded many noble distinctions of Vietnam and other counties such as the former Soviet Union, Laos and Japan.