President Tran Dai Quang presented the Politburo’s appointment decision to Lam in Buon Ma Thuot city of Dak Lak province on July 30.
At the ceremony, the President, who used to chair the Steering Committee while serving as Minister of Public Security, said the committee was set up on July 17, 2002, amidst the complex security situation in the Central Highlands. At that time, hostile forces took advantage of ethnic and religious affairs to incite riots with the aim of undermining the great national unity there.
Under the leadership of the Party Central Committee, National Assembly and Government, the Steering Committee has worked closely with local authorities to implement the Party and State’s guidelines and policies relating to the region. And it harvested significant outcomes in terms of the political system, socio-economic development, and security-defence, he noted.
He said the assignment of To Lam to the chairmanship of the Steering Committee of the Central Highlands, a strategic region of Vietnam, reflects the trust that the Party, State and people put into him.
For his part, Lam promised to do his utmost to join efforts of the Steering Committee and local authorities to fulfill the assigned tasks.
The Steering Committee for the Central Highlands is in charge of the five provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Dak Nong, and Lam Dong. The region, covering over 54,640 square kilometers of land, is home to more than 5.46 million people. Ethnic minority people account for about 35 percent of the region’s population.
