Dien Bien (VNA) - Dien Bien province, with its name attached to the epoch-making Dien Bien Phu victory 70 years ago, should turn its historical heritage into assets and potential into resources, while mobilising all investment for development, stated Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh while working with the northern province's Party Committee on April 9.

PM Chinh underlined that Dien Bien is a land of rich revolutionary tradition and diverse culture of 19 ethnic minority groups, and a locality having an important strategic location bordering Laos and China, and a great potential for industrial, agricultural, service and tourism development.

However, the locality has yet to bring all of its advantages into play, he said, stressing that the province has yet to exploit its treasure of the Dien Bien Phu battlefield historical relic site, as well as its potential in renewable energy and border economy.

The Government leader asked ministries and sectors to support Dien Bien in making a breakthrough in socio-economic development to match its global reputation from the Dien Bien Phu victory and its potential from rich cultural values.

Along with sticking to the Party and Government’s directions, Dien Bien should optimise its potential and strengths, promoting its self-reliance and resources, while continuing to ensure security-defence, strengthening decentalisation and delegation of power, and building an incorrupt administrative system.

In the time to come, Dien Bien should focus on preparing for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Dien Bien Phu Victory, while completing its planning and infrastructure development, adjusting its growth strategy for particular sectors with priority to agro-forestry, tourism, hydropower, mining, processing, border economy, digital and circular economy, he requested.

The leader urged Dien Bien to turn tourism into its spearhead economic sector, pay more attention to human resources development, and speed up administrative reform.
 
According to Secretary of the provincial Party Committee Tran Quoc Cuong, last year Dien Bien posted a 10.19% rise in gross regional domestic product (GRDP) growth. Its index of industrial production (IPP) also rose 22.2%, while total revenue from retail of goods increased 41%, and social investment capital was up 21.9%.

In the first quarter of 2023, the locality recorded a GRDP rise of 6.7%, along with a year-on-year increase of 21.8% in social investment, 12.3% in State budget collection, 6.36% in IPP, and 49.3% in revenue from retails of goods and services.

At the same time, the number of tourists to the province rose 10 times compared to the same period last year, with the number of foreigners increasing 11 times.

At the working session, Dien Bien leaders raise a number of proposals, including support to the locality in preserving and restoring relic sites within the project to preserve and develop values of the special national relic site of Dien Bien Phu battlefield until 2030.

Also on April 9, PM Chinh and his entourage offered incense to martyrs at the shrine dedicated to soldiers who died at the Dien Bien Phu battlefield and at the A1 martyrs' cemetery. He also visited the Dien Bien Phu victory museum in Dien Bien./.