GIA LAI —  President Trần Đại Quang extended Lunar New Year (Tết) greetings to people in Gia Lai during his working trip to the Central Highlands province on February 1.

Visiting residents in the border commune of Ia Dom in the province’s Đức Cơ District, the State leader expressed his delight at the commune’s development, with consolidated political system, reduced rate of poor households, and better health care, culture and education.

Ia Dom was recognised as a new-style rural commune in 2015, reflecting the efforts of the local authorities and people, he said.

President Quang also highly evaluated military units based in Ia Dom, especially the border guard post at Lệ Thanh International Border Gate and Army Corps 15, which have greatly supported the commune over the past years.

He affirmed that the Party and the State always pay attention to caring for local people, especially revolutionary contributors and poor people, and called on residents in Ia Dom to continue exerting efforts to improve their living conditions and contribute to the homeland’s development.

On this occasion, President Quang presented Tết gifts to 100 policy beneficiaries and poor households in the commune.

Ia Dom is one of the three border communes of the Đức Cơ District, bordering the Cambodian province of Ratanakiri. It has a population of more than 7,100 who are people of 10 ethnic groups. About 38 per cent of the population is J’rai ethnic minority people.

Also on February 1, President Quang visited officers and soldiers of the border guard post at the Lệ Thanh International Border Gate, which is in charge of managing a 17.6km-long border section in the district.

He emphasised the major task of protecting national independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity, building a pure and strong Party organisation, ensuring combating preparedness, and fighting “peaceful evolution”.

The President also asked the officers and soldiers to promptly and effectively deal with any emerging incident so as to help keep political security, social order and safety, and national sovereignty and border security. — VNS