Diplomats look into Central Highlands’ development
Chiefs of the Vietnamese overseas representative offices 2016-2019 tenure, led by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, had a working session with the Central Highlands Steering Committee on June 8 to study regional socio-economic development, defence and security.
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Along with popularising information about the Central Highlands region internationally, the diplomats should also seek foreign business partners to invest in the region, especially in high-tech agriculture production, Son said.
They should work to enlarge markets for the Central Highlands region’s key farm produce such as coffee, pepper and rubber, he noted.
According to Deputy Head of the committee’s standing board Tran Viet Hung, the Central Highlands region covers a total area of over 54,636 square kilometres, or 16% of the country’s area. It is home to more than 5.6 million people, with ethnic minorities accounting for 45%.
The region’s average economic growth stands at 9%. Despite prolonged drought in the first half of 2016, the local gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 7.2% from the same period last year thanks to measures to stabilise the market and support production.
The region’s investment climate has improved, with a higher provincial competitiveness index.
