National Assembly Chairman Nguyen Phu Trong made the statement during his working visit to Dak Lak which is the final leg of his tour of the Central Highlands.

At a meeting on January 12, provincial authorities briefed Mr Trong on Dak Lak’s remarkable achievements in the past year. In 2006, they said, Dak Lak reached a GDP growth rate of 9.11 percent and export turnover of US$380 million, thereby significantly improving people’s living standards and reducing the number of poor households to 25 percent.

Local authorities asked central ministries and sectors to pay greater attention to the lives of ethnic minority people by increasing capital for infrastructure development and personnel training, devising specific measures to provide employment and prevent free emigration and offering special policies for the Central Highlands.

The NA Chairman praised the provincial Party cell and people for their efforts to ensure national security and defense, reinforce the administration system at the grassroots levels and implement socio-economic development programmes, particularly policies on land allocation for ethnic minority people.

He also asked the Party, administration and people in Dak Lak to continuously heighten their vigilance against hostile forces’ plots to divide unity, strengthen great national unity and well implement Party and State guidelines and policies.

The NA leader said all legitimate proposals made by the provincial authorities will be considered by the NA and relevant agencies.

The same day, Mr Trong visited Dak Lak Rubber Company, a “Labour Hero” unit in the Doi Moi (Renovation) Process and presented gifts to local people in K Mrong village in Ea Tu commune, Buon Ma Thuot City.