Party General Secretary Tô Lâm meets with the Standing Boards of the Party Committees of the three localities in Nam Định on Monday. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — The merger of Nam Định, Hà Nam, and Ninh Bình provinces in northern Việt Nam will shape up a unified development space that integrates and promotes each locality’s strength, creating a powerful and sustainable growth driver, Party General Secretary Tô Lâm said on Monday.

At a working session with the Standing Boards of the Party Committees of the three localities in Nam Định, the Party chief underscored that the merger is expected to facilitate harmonious infrastructure planning across the areas of transport, urbanisation, industry, tourism, services, and agriculture. It will also create favourable conditions to develop economic corridors from mountainous to delta and coastal areas, unlocking inter-regional trade, tourism, and logistics potential.

The provinces have complementary economic structures and production capabilities that, when combined, will create a complete value chain while addressing individual limitations, he elaborated, stressing they boast a rich system of historical and cultural relic sites such as the renowned Tràng An scenic complex, Bái Đính pagoda, stone church, Tam Chúc pagoda, Địa Tạng Phi Lai pagoda and Trần temple. He suggested the merged province develop valuable cultural and tourism products while building a living heritage brand that becomes an attractive destination.

Party General Secretary Lâm called for concerted efforts from the localities to complete the organisation of the two-tier administration model by July 1, ensuring a lean, effective, transparent, and smoothly operational apparatus.

On personnel matters, the Party leader highlighted unity as the cornerstone of the work, with priority given to nurturing a new generation of leaders with innovative thinking, modern management capabilities, and willingness to act for the common good.

Laying stress on the significance of penning a long-term socio-economic development strategy for the new Ninh Bình province, he said this requires a comprehensive reassessment of the existing economic and demographic landscape to formulate a master plan aligned with each region’s strengths. Development, he stated, must never come at the cost of the environment, culture, or social welfare.

The province must harmoniously carry out a string of strategic breakthroughs in line with the Party Central Committee’s major resolutions, develop transparent and stable legal frameworks and planning systems while accelerating science-technology and digital transformation, as well as make comprehensive investment in education, health care, culture, preservation of cultural heritage, and development of cultural industry, among others.

The provincial Party Congress represents not only a major political event but also a milestone marking the beginning of a new development phase, he said, ordering the preparation process must be implemented seriously and systematically.

He went on to say that the goal is to shape a modern, vibrant development space with Ninh Bình at its heart, transforming the region into a hub of smart and green industry and services by 2030, while preserving its unique identity as a national heritage centre.

Hà Nam, Ninh Bình, and Nam Định constitute a spiritually gifted land with a long development history, boasting potential, resilience, and opportunities for takeoff in the new era, he stressed.

Reports presented at the meeting highlighted remarkable achievements by the three provinces in recent years, driven by great efforts, strong political will, and flexible, innovative leadership. Between 2020 and 2024, Hà Nam recorded an average GRDP growth of 10.26 per cent, Ninh Bình 8.03 per cent, and Nam Định 9.55 per cent. In the first half of 2025 alone, all the three posted double-digit growth rates of 10.61 per cent, 10.02 per cent, and 10.93 per cent, respectively. — VNS