Vietnam's newly elected Communist Party general secretary Nguyen Phu Trong waves during a press conference after the closing ceremony of the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) 13th National Congress at the National Convention Centre in Hanoi on February 1, 2021. Photo by Nhac NGUYEN / AFP
Hanoi: Vietnamese leader Nguyen Phu Trong died on Friday aged 80 "after a period of illness", the ruling Communist Party said.
The announcement came a day after the party that Trong led said he would hand over power to focus on receiving medical treatment for an undisclosed medical condition.
On Friday, state media announced Trong had passed away in the afternoon at a military hospital "due to old age and serious illness."
"There will be a special statement on the organisation of the funeral at the national level," state media added.
Trong's responsibilities have been handed to the country's largely ceremonial president, To Lam, a powerful former public security minister long seen as jockeying for the top job.
"The Politburo calls on the entire party, people and army to have absolute trust in the party's leadership and state management," it said Thursday.
