Former Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai dies at age 85

The Former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai was born on December 25, 1933 in Cu Chi District.

As one of the high-ranking leaders of Vietnam’s Party and the State in the first phase of renovation (Doi Moi), he was active and determined to build the institution under the spirit of innovating and utilizing the capacities of all economic sectors, especially the private one, combined with opening door to the world and integrating internationally.

There were a lot of fundamental laws passed in the first phase of Doi Moi period during Prime Minister Phan Van Khai’s nearly two working terms.

The government chaired by former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai made its working-term marks by the issuance of the Business Law, the elimination of hundreds of licenses in order to create a more favorable business environment as well as the involvement in many tough talks in the process of Vietnam's accession to the World Trade Organization (WTO).

In term of foreign relations, he helped strengthen ties with the US through his landmark trip to this country in mid-2005.

Former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai is the first high-ranking Vietnamese official to visit the United States since 1975, which marked the 10th anniversary of normalization of relations between the two countries and opened a new stage of development in all fields.

The Vietnam’s Party and State have presented Phan Van Khai the Gold Star Order and the 55-year Party Membership Badge (2014) in recognition of his dedications to the country’s revolution. 

According to the announcement of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly, the President, the Government, and the Central Committee of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, a state funeral will be held on March 20-21 for former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai.

The state funeral organizing committee will be headed by the Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong.

A ceremony to pay tribute to Phan Van Khai will take place from 8:00 am on March 20 to the end of March 21 at Thong Nhat Hall in HCMC where his remains are preserved.

The tribute - paying and memorial ceremonies will be held at the International Convention Centre, Le Hong Phong Street, Ba Dinh District, Hanoi at the same time with those in HCMC.

During the two days, all State offices and public facilities will fly the national flag at half-mast and all entertainment activities will be stopped.

Former Prime Minister Phan Van Khai was born on December 25, 1933 in Cu Chi, HCMC. He had joined Vietnam’s revolutionary movement since 1947 and become a member of the Vietnam Communist Party when he was 26.
During the period from 1947 to 1954, Khai joined the revolutionary movement against the colonial French in the South of Vietnam and then, from 1954 to 1960, he moved to the North.
From 1960 to 1965, he studied at the University of Economics in Moscow (former Soviet Union) and then, returned to Ho Chi Minh City to work up the ranks and was the city’s mayor until 1989.
After that, Khai moved to the central government where he was first appointed Prime Minister in 1997.
In 2002, Khai was re-elected as Prime Minister.
In June 2006, he resigned one year before the end due to his high age.