Party General Secretary, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng chaired a meeting of the Politburo on Friday to examine two projects to develop Huế and Buôn Ma Thuột cities. VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI - Party General Secretary, President Nguyễn Phú Trọng chaired a meeting of the Politburo yesterday to examine two projects to develop Huế and Buôn Ma Thuột cities.

After listening to the Party Central Committee’s Economic Commission report on the key contents of two projects to develop the cities, the Party Central Committee Office’s presentation of opinions from agencies and opinions of Politburo members, Party General Secretary, President Trọng commended the Economic Commission for their work in preparing the projects, and said the Politburo basically approved the contents of the projects.

The Politburo said Thừa Thiên-Huế Province, home to Huế City, had made great efforts in renewing its thinking, optimising local advantages for development. Huế had been recognised as Việt Nam’s city of festivals, and ASEAN’s cultural and tourism city, while the complex of historical relics and landscapes had been preserved and upgraded. The poverty rate in the city had dropped significantly, and living conditions had improved.

However, the province’s economic development had not matched potential, the Politburo said, pointing out that urban development was slow and infrastructure remained uneven. Urban planning and management failed to match the pace of development, while administrative reform, Party building and apparatus building work had not been up to snuff.

To develop Huế into a centrally-run city, the Politburo agreed to issue a resolution and asked the province’s Party organisation, administration and people to seriously implement it.

For Buôn Ma Thuột, the Politburo recognised the city’s efforts to tap its potential, resulting in economic growth. The city had become a first-level city of Đắk Lắk Province and was advancing in the direction of a modern city. Living conditions had improved, Party building work received attention, and the administrative apparatus was shifting toward streamlined organisation and efficient operation. National defence and security in the city had been ensured.

At the same time, the Politburo said the city’s economic growth had not been on par with its advantages. Buôn Ma Thuột had yet to become the central city of the Central Highlands region. Poverty reduction in the city was not sustainable, and there remained complications in security and social order in some areas. Local infrastructure was poor, and transport links with other provinces were slow to be upgraded.   

Aiming to turn Buôn Ma Thuột into a green and smart city, the central hub of the Central Highlands and a growth pole of the Việt Nam-Laos-Cambodia development triangle, the Politburo issued a conclusion on building and developing Buôn Ma Thuột.

Also at the meeting, the Politburo made decisions on personnel matters and gave opinions on other issues. VNS