The information was released in a special communiqué in Hanoi on June 12 by the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee, the National Assembly, the State President, the Government and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee.

According to the communiqué, Mr Kiet had joined revolutionary activities for more than 70 years and made many great contributions to the revolutionary cause of the Party and the nation. His death was a great loss to the Party, State and people, said the communiqué.

The Party Central Committee, the National Assembly, the State President, the Government and the Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee decided to organise a State-level mourning for Mr Kiet.

A 33-member mourning board was established on June 12 and led by Party General Secretary Nong Duc Manh.

A mourning service will take place at Thong Nhat Meeting Hall in Ho Chi Minh City on June 14-15, where his body lies in state. A memorial service will be held on June 15. He will be buried and rest in peace at Ho Chi Minh City Cemetery the same day.

Vietnam Television (VTV) and Radio the Voice of Vietnam (VOV) will broadcast the mourning and memorial service live. 

A two-day national mourning will be effective on June 14-15. 

Brief biography

Vo Van Kiet (Phan Van Hoa on his birth certificate and alias Sau Dan) was born on November 23, 1922 in Trung Hiep commune, Vung Liem district of the southern province of Vinh Long.

He started to join revolutionary activities in 1938 and was admitted to the Communist Party of Indochina in November 1939.

Between 1941 and 1945, Mr Kiet took part in revolutionary activities in Rach Gia province, including an uprising to wrest back power in Rach Gia.

After the French colonialists re-occupied Nam Bo (Southern Vietnam), he acted as a political commissar for the revolutionary militia of Tay Nam Bo (south-western provinces).

In 1950 he was appointed Deputy Secretary and then Secretary of the Party Committee of Bac Lieu province.

In 1955 he was elected as member of the Nam Bo (southern Vietnam) Party Committee and Deputy Secretary of the Hau Giang provincial Party Committee.

In 1959, he was appointed Secretary of the Party Committee of Saigon-Gia Dinh and had kept his post until late 1970.

At the 3^rd National Party Congress in 1960, he was elected as an alternate member of the Party Central Committee. He continued to keep the post as Secretary of the Party Committee of Saigon-Gia Dinh and then Secretary of the Party Committee of Tay Nam Bo (south-western region).

In 1972, he was elected as an official member of the Party Central Committee.

Between 1973 and 1975, he was sent to work as member of the Standing Board of the Party Central Committee (Southern region). He was appointed a Special Party Secretary of the Saigon Military Management Committee.

In 1976, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Municipal Party Committee and Chairman of the Municipal People’s Committee.

At the 4^th National Party Congress in 1976, he was re-elected to the Party Central Committee and the Political Bureau working as an alternate member and then appointed Secretary of the Ho Chi Minh City Municipal Party Committee.

At the 5^th National Party Congress in 1982, he was re-elected to the Party Central Committee and then the Political Bureau as an official member.

At the 6^th National Party Congress in 1986, he was re-elected to the Party Central Committee and then the Political Bureau as an official member.

In February 1987, he was elected to the 8^th National Assembly as Chairman of the State Planning Committee, and permanent Vice Chairman and then the First Vice Chairman of the Ministers Council.

At the 7^th National Party Congress in 1991, he was re-elected to the Party Central Committee and the Political Bureau.

He was voted as Vice Chairman of the Ministers Council at the first session of the 8^th National Assembly and Chairman of the Ministers Council at the 9^th session of the 8^th National Assembly.

At the 8^th National Party Congress in 1996, he was re-elected to the Party Central Committee and the Political Bureau working as member of its Standing Committee.

At the first session of the 9^th National Assembly in 1992, he was elected Prime Minister of Vietnam, and Vice Chairman of the National Defence and Security Council.

He was appointed advisor to the Party Central Committee at its 4^th conference in 1997.

Mr Kiet was National Assembly deputy in the 6^th, 8^th and 9^th tenures.