Leveraging the strategic location of the Thanh Thuy border gate area.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thang, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party and Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, chaired the meeting. Photo: Mai Hoa

Attending the working session were comrades Nguyen Dac Vinh - Member of the Central Committee of the Party, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Nguyen Xuan Son - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Nguyen Xuan Duong - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; and Le Ngoc Hoa - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.

Regarding the Thanh Thuy border gate area, 15 years ago, Nghe An province began contemplating developing the border gate economy and aiming to transform it into an international border gate. However, to date, this area has not seen any progress.

During the meeting, delegates focused on analyzing and clarifying new factors to "reposition" the development direction of the Thanh Thuy border gate area, which has far-reaching significance, linking it with steps and methods to realize the economic development of this region, creating a driving force for development for Nghe An province, for Vietnam, and connecting the East-West economic corridor, comprising four countries: Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar.

The most important factor is Resolution No. 26/NQ-TW, dated July 30, 2013, of the Politburo on the direction and tasks for the development of Nghe An province until 2020, which set out the task of "Promoting the development of the Thanh Thuy Border Gate Economic Zone, upgrading the Thanh Thuy national border gate to an international border gate, becoming an important trading hub with Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar."

This also forms the basis for the cooperation agreement between the Vietnamese and Lao governments on the implementation of the Vientiane - Pakxan - Thanh Thuy - Hanoi expressway, which opens up new opportunities for the development of this region.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Son - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council, stated that the development of Thanh Thuy area should be on an international scale and that it is necessary to boldly designate it as a special economic zone. Photo: Mai Hoa

And in recent working sessions with Nghe An province, Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc emphasized that Nghe An needs to focus on developing the Thanh Thuy border economic zone to match its potential and important trade opportunities with Laos, Thailand, and Myanmar, in order to capitalize on the opportunities that the Vientiane - Pakxan - Thanh Thuy - Hanoi expressway will bring upon completion.

According to the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Nguyen Xuan Son, the development of Thanh Thuy area needs to be on an international scale, and it is necessary to boldly designate it as a special economic zone. Once the development direction is clearly defined, proactive planning with a corresponding vision is needed, along with hiring foreign consultants for the planning process. The province must demonstrate determination to act quickly and successfully.

Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Nguyen Xuan Duong said that the Provincial People's Committee will submit a proposal to the Prime Minister for approval to develop the planning, while also hiring foreign consultants and calling for investors and large enterprises to promote social participation. Photo: Mai Hoa

Agreeing with the opinion of the Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, Nguyen Xuan Duong, stated that the important thing is the approach, and the Provincial People's Committee will submit a proposal to the Prime Minister for approval to develop the plan, while also hiring foreign consultants and attracting large investors and businesses to socialize this issue.

The Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee also emphasized: The planning and development of the Thanh Thuy border gate area is the responsibility of the province, and the role of the Party committees and authorities at all levels in Thanh Chuong is to maintain the current planning status and, when the new plan is approved, to monitor its implementation and take decisive action in land clearance.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thang, Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, believes that Thanh Thuy region should be developed into a special economic zone. (Photo: Mai Hoa)

Based on his understanding of the development vision for the Thanh Thuy border economic zone, Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thang - Secretary of the Central Committee of the Party, Director of the Ho Chi Minh National Academy of Politics, believes that the development of the Thanh Thuy border economic zone should be viewed as an economic corridor and a driving force for the development of the province, the region, the country, and more broadly, the "low-lying" region of Southeast Asia, based on advantages in population, untapped potential, and especially the connection of the East-West corridor between the Pacific and Indian Oceans via road transport.

Map showing the route of the Hanoi (Vietnam) - Vientiane (Laos) expressway.

Therefore, the development orientation of the Thanh Thuy border gate area should not only focus on economic aspects but also have significant strategic implications. Furthermore, the vision for developing the Thanh Thuy economic zone must go beyond its current state; it should not be merely a border gate economic zone but should develop into a special economic zone; one that simultaneously promotes the border gate economy and leverages its multifaceted socio-economic strengths.

Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thang also suggested that, in the immediate future, the province should submit a proposal to the Politburo and the Government seeking support for upgrading Thanh Thuy border gate to an international border gate; and at the same time, allow Nghe An to develop a development plan for the Thanh Thuy area in conjunction with the international border gate and the Hanoi-Vientiane expressway, creating momentum for the province's economic development in particular and a ripple effect for the region and the nation in general. To achieve this, the province needs to conduct surveys and assessments of its development potential to have a development orientation that is both realistic and forward-looking.

Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh instructed the Provincial People's Committee to direct relevant departments and agencies to review the legal basis for studying and developing a plan for the development of Thanh Thuy region. Photo: Mai Hoa

Based on the suggestion of Comrade Nguyen Xuan Thang, Provincial Party Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh instructed the Provincial People's Committee to direct relevant departments and agencies to review the legal basis for researching and developing a plan for the development of the Thanh Thuy region. Simultaneously, a proposal was submitted to the Government requesting the upgrading of the Thanh Thuy border gate to an international border gate and permission for Nghe An province to develop a regional development plan for Thanh Thuy in conjunction with the border gate and the Hanoi-Vientiane expressway.

Secretary Nguyen Dac Vinh also instructed the Department of Planning and Investment and the Department of Construction to invite a planning consultancy unit. Regarding the responsibilities of the Provincial Party Standing Committee, there will also be a work program to call on investors and large enterprises to join hands with the province through a socialized approach…