Vietnamese President Võ Văn Thưởng shake hands with representatives of reputable ethnic minority groups during a meeting on Tuesday in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo Thống Nhất

HÀ NỘI — Vietnamese President Võ Văn Thưởng on Tuesday hosted 70 representatives out of 500 reputable citizens from ethnic minority groups across the country.

President Thưởng said that the Party and State pay great attention to ethnic minority communities, with the issuance of many policies to support them, including national target programmes aiming to enhance the living conditions of ethnic minority groups.

He highlighted the great contributions of ethnic minority communities to the revolutionary cause of the Party and people both in the past struggle for national independence and reunification as well as to the present national construction and development.

The State leader spoke highly of the efforts by reputable people in implementing the Party and State’s guidelines and policies, encouraging other people to comply with laws, ensuring security, social order and safety. They also promote production and build the national great solidarity bloc, and develop cultural life in the community, contributing to preserving and promoting national cultural values.

He said he hopes that elderly, heads of villages and reputable people from ethnic minority groups will continue to show strong performance in realising the Party’s policies on promoting the tradition and the strength from the great national solidarity bloc, thus making the nation more prosperous.

The State leader asked ministries, sectors and localities to implementing policies and the national target programme on socioeconomic development in mountainous and ethnic minority-inhabited areas in a more effective manner, while mobilising the engagement and supervision of the people in the work and encouraging households and individuals from ethnic minority groups to escape poverty.

President Thưởng expressed his hope that senior citizens, heads of villages and prestigious people will continue to work to preserve and promote the unique cultural values of their ethnic groups, while popularising the Party and State’s policies and laws to local residents so as to prevent and combat allegations and plots to divide the great national solidarity bloc. — VNS