President Trương Tấn Sang visited northern Ninh Bình Province yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo Nguyen Khang

HÀ NỘI  (VNS) — President Trương Tấn Sang visited northern Ninh Bình Province yesterday, where he met local military forces and provincial authorities.

Visiting Army Corps No 1 – the first mobile regular army unit of the Việt Nam People’s Army – the President hailed their efforts since being established on October 24, 1973. The unit played a key role in the liberation of the South in 1975.

“The Army Corps No 1 should uphold its responsibility to be ready for fighting and to perform its task as a consultant for the General Political Department of Việt Nam People’s Army and the Ministry of National Defence,” Sang said.

The President expected the Corps’ soldiers to perform numerous deeds of arms to celebrate the historical Liberation Day of April 30 which is approaching.

He also expected that the soldiers would select good candidates for the National Assembly and People’s Councils at all levels in the coming elections.

On the same day, President Sang visited Ninh Bình Province’s Military Headquarters where he emphasised the role of the armed force in mass mobilisation.

He required the Military Headquarters to make timely recommendations to provincial authorities to be pre-emptive in any circumstance; and to build a strong local force as well as steady defence areas for national construction and protection.

Provincial authorities informed the President of three breakthroughs and seven focal points the province targets to accelerate local socio-economic development, and ensure security and national defence in the province.

The year 2015 and first months of 2016 witnessed stable agricultural production with gross product worth more than VNĐ8 trillion (US$350 million), equal to VNĐ97 million ($4,300) per hectare. Industrial production has increased markedly, up 21 per cent compared to the same period last year.

President Sang said the country was expected to face several challenges in the coming time, especially pressures which arise in the context of integration.

“Ninh Bình should boost economic restructuring, develop varieties of plants and animals of the province’s advantage in combination with the application of science and technology into production,” said the President.

“This should be a policy, an urgent task,” he said.

He emphasised one of the obstacles to industrialisation was that Việt Nam had not formed a supporting industry 30 years after Đổi mới (Renewal).

“It is necessary to review industrial products to find ways to increase the local content of products in the value chain,” the President said.

He added that as a short-term target, Việt Nam should reach standards that can be compared with developed ASEAN countries. 

Also he noted that Ninh Bình which is home to various well-known cultural relics and beauty spots such as Tràng An Complex and Cúc Phương National Park should preserve and maintain cultural and historical values, creating new tourism products attractive to domestic and foreign visitors. — VNS