Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính (centre) and other delegates at the ceremony. — VNA/VNS Photo

CẦN THƠ — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính on Thursday broke ground for the western belt road in the Mekong Delta city of Cần Thơ, which will connect National Highways 91 and 61C.

The road has a total length of 19.4km and a surface width of 11m, with 24 middle and small bridges, and one large bridge. It crosses Ô Môn, Bình Thủy, Phong Điền, Ninh Kiều and Cái Răng districts.

The project, which has a total investment of over VNĐ3.83 trillion (US$154.38 million), is scheduled to be completed in 2026 and is expected to facilitate transport activities between Cần Thơ and neighbouring localities, reducing congestion and expanding the city’s development space in the west.

Addressing the ground-breaking ceremony, PM Chính said that infrastructure is one of the three strategic focuses of Việt Nam to complete its development goals towards 2030.

Highlighting the Party and State’s special attention to the promotion of socio-economic development of Cần Thơ and the Mekong Delta region, the PM noted that in this tenure, the State has provided the largest ever amount of capital for the infrastructure development in the Mekong Delta region. Meanwhile, other resources have also been mobilised for infrastructure development in Cần Thơ in all fields, he added.

The PM held that the western belt road of Cần Thơ would help form an important outer belt axis connecting important traffic from the Mekong Delta region, contributing to the creation of an inter-regional transport system, linking Cần Thơ City with neighbouring localities, and making a strong impetus to promote socio-economic and tourism development for the city, and expanding a new development space for Cần Thơ.

The Government leader asked the local Party's committees and administrations at all levels of Cần Thơ to create favourable conditions for the implementation of the project while paying attention to ensuring good living conditions for 589 households that have had to move to free up space. 

Great national unity festival 

PM Phạm Minh Chính meets people in Nhơn Ái Commune, Phòng Điền District while attending a great national unity festival there. — VNA/VNS Photo

In the celebration of the 92nd anniversary of the National United Front of Việt Nam or the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (November 18, 1930), PM Chính on Thursday attended the great national unity festival in Nhơn Ái Commune, Phong Điền District of Cần Thơ City.

Speaking at the festival, Chính expressed his pleasure to see the commune and Phong Điền District, Cần Thơ City getting more prosperous and beautiful with improved infrastructure and local people’s excitement.

The PM emphasised that great national unity was a strategic policy, of vital significance, determining the success or failure of the revolution, a “red thread” throughout the Party's revolutionary strategic line.

“It is a vivid symbol of the ideology of unity and national unity,” he said.

“Over the past 19 years, the organisation of the Great National Unity Day in residential areas has become a tradition, bringing the Việt Nam Fatherland Front (VFF)'s activities to the community, towards each family and each citizen; especially bringing the Party and State closer to the people,” he said.

“Where there is people, there is the Party. People and the Party go together like fish and water," the PM said.

Chính said that the organisation of the festival at the grassroots level, in villages, hamlets and residential areas aimed to gather, consolidate and promote the strength of the great national unity bloc.

He said that is also an opportunity to evaluate the results of campaigns and patriotic emulation movements that contribute to building new rural areas, civilised cities and sustainable poverty reduction. The festival was also an occasion to praise and honour typical collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in building and developing residential communities.

Following President Hồ Chí Minh’s advice "Solidarity, solidarity, great solidarity; Success, success, great success," PM Chính urged people to unite, strive, and contribute to the community and people nationwide to participate in building a prosperous, democratic and civilised country.

The PM said: “Uniting together, we overcome difficulties. The more difficult and complicated a situation is, the more united we are," the PM said.

Also at the festival, PM Chính presented 20 gratitude houses worth VNĐ1 billion built with funding from the "National Fund for the Poor" to policy beneficiaries for their contribution to the country and poor families in Cần Thơ City. — VNS