Cuba declares two-day mourning for Vietnamese President

The Havana-based Juventud Rebelde said the state mourning began at 6 a.m. Saturday and will last until the end of Sunday, which is from 5 p.m. Saturday to 11 a.m. Monday Hanoi time.

During this period, governmental buildings and military offices in Cuba would fly national flags at half mast, and no public entertainment events will be held, it said.

Esteban Lazo Hernández, President of Cuba’s National Assembly, sent his condolences to Vietnam upon hearing about Quang’s passing Friday. The Cuban Embassy in Vietnam also shared a similar message on its official Twitter account.

When former Cuban President Fidel Castro died in 2016, Vietnam also held a three-day state funeral in tribute.

Vietnam and Cuba established diplomatic relations in 1960.

Vietnam's President Tran Dai Quang died Friday morning of a serious illness, aged 62, at the 108 Military Central Hospital in Hanoi.

A professor with a doctorate degree in Law, he held several high-ranking positions before being selected as Vietnam's president on April 2, 2016.

Quang was Director General of Department of Security Advisory, Director General of the Directorate of Security, Deputy Minister and Minister of Public Security.

He was also a member the Politburo, the decision-making body of the Communist Party of Vietnam.

During this period, he also worked as deputy head of the Central Steering Committee on Corruption Prevention and Control.