Former director Bui Hong Phuc during the seminar “Consular Affairs and Me” in 2015.
I knew Uncle Phuc had been ill for a long time, but the news of his passing still seemed sudden to me. I know that “birth, old age, sickness, and death” are part of the natural order of things and that “life is just an ephemeral existence,” but losing another close friend leaves a great void.
Ambassador Bui Hong Phuc was not only a leader but also a very close paternal figure to me. He worked alongside my wife’s parents during their assignments abroad and even held her in his arms when she was a baby. Later, I had the opportunity to work closely with him in the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, which later became the Consular Bureau.
In early 1989, I received a scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in the Federal Republic of Germany. It was the first time I had set foot in a capitalist country and crossed the Berlin Wall, at a time when the world was still divided and Germany was not yet reunified.
During this time, I was an intern in the department, serving as an assistant director for foreign affairs. I learned a lot from his leadership and management style. He was always quick and decisive, but also attentive, especially in legal and consular matters.
At the age of 92, after a brilliant diplomatic career spanning many areas, he peacefully passed away, leaving behind immense sorrow for his family and the gratitude of many generations of trained and supervised consular officers guided by Ambassador Bui Hong Phuc.
Farewell, uncle, the first director of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/dai-su-bui-hong-phuc-va-ky-uc-ve-mot-the-he-ngoai-giao-tan-tam-395869.html
