During the meeting with provincial leaders, President Triet hailed their efforts to keep up with the nation’s economic integration through attracting investment, changing economic structures and improving people’s standards of living. The number of poor households reduced quickly and provincial budget collection reached nearly VND1,000 billion in 2006.

Mr Triet expressed his belief that with the available natural resources and comfortable transportation network, the province would be one of the country’s localities with high growth rates.

The president visited a project to expand Bai Dinh Pagoda in Gia Sinh, Hoa Lu District, where there is a 100-tonne bronze Buddha statute, the biggest one in Southeast Asia.

Mr Triet also presented Tet gift to local families.