He made the request at a national conference held on October 14 to disseminate and launch the implementation of the 13th-tenure Politburo’s Resolution 23-NQ/TW on orientations for socio-economic development and defence - security safeguarding in the Central Highlands by 2030, with a vision to 2045.
Participants in the event, held both in person and via videoconference, included Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh, and National Assembly Chairman Vuong Dinh Hue.
In his remarks, General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong underlined the importance of building an advanced culture deeply imbued with the national identity in the Central Highlands while respecting cultural differences of ethnic groups and considering this as a driver and foundation for development and international integration.
He ordered stepping up the building of new-style rural areas, thoroughly resolving residential and farm land issues, and unceasingly improving people’s material and spiritual life.
To effectively implement Resolution 23-NQ/TW, issued on October 6 this year, he stressed that it is necessary to promote all-level authorities, sectors, people, and the business community’s awareness of the region’s role, position, and importance; and reform the development mindset, mechanisms and policies, resource allocation, as well as human resources to maximise the potential and advantages of the whole region, each sub-region, and each province.
The Party leader demanded the proper handling of the relationship between regional and national development, and the clear definition of the roles, functions and tasks of ministries, sectors, central agencies and Central Highlands localities in carying out the resolution.
He underlined the necessity for speeding up the building and perfection of regulations, mechanisms, and policies for regional development; properly implementing the regional development planning for 2021 - 2030, with a vision to 2050; promoting administrative reforms and the business climate improvement; optimising every resource for development investment; and comprehensively developing the region in terms of economy, culture, and society in tandem with defence - security safeguarding.
In particular, the General Secretary requested the stronger building and rectification of the Party and political system, describing this as the leading and decisive factor in implementing Resolution 23. He also stressed the importance of training personnel, especially female and ethnic minority ones; properly carrying out grassroots democracy; building up solidarity among ethnic groups; and enhancing cooperation and friendship between local people and border residents of neighbouring countries.
The Central Highlands region comprises five provinces – Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong. It covers more than 54,641 sq.km. of land, equivalent to 16.8% of Vietnam’s area, and has a population of about 6.2 million, of which 37% are ethnic minority people.
In Resolution 23, the Politburo stressed that the Central Highlands is a strategic region of special importance in all terms from economy, society, environment, defence-security and external relations. Developing the region in a fast and sustainable manner is a major policy of the Party and the State, and an important task of the entire country.
The Party chief instructed that after the conference, Party committees and organisations at all levels should urgently build action plans and programmes to implement the resolution in tandem with carrying out the resolutions of the 13th National Party Congress and their respective Party congresses.
The government is required to early finalise and promulgate a development master plan for the Central Highlands to 2030 with a vision to 2045 to create the basis for localities in the region to build their own development plans.