(VOVworld) – A ceremony was held in Dam Thuy commune, Cao Bang province to present gifts to poor households in 7 provinces along the Vietnam-China border.

In total, they received 50,000 USD, 15,000 tons of cement and 24,000 breeding cows. Living standards there have been improved significantly thanks to state support and efforts by local ethnic minorities in recent years. The Vietnam Border Defense Force and the Military Telecom Group (Viettel) have donated tens of thousands of tons of cement and breeding cows for poor border households at the President’s initiative. In his address, President Truong Tan Sang called for donations from organizations and businesses to support ethnic minorities nationwide.

He asked the Northwestern Region Steering Committee to create incentives to encourage businesses to invest in border areas, contributing to the improvement of local living conditions and building a border of peace, stability, solidarity, cooperation, and development.

At a meeting with provincial leaders, President Sang praised the province’s efforts to ensure food security, build new rural areas, and consolidate the grassroots political system. He asked the province to step up restructuring, apply technological advances in production, boost border economic and tourism development and reform administrative procedures.

During his visit, President Sang burned incense at President Ho Chi Minh Temple at Pac Po historical relic site and visited Mrs. Hoang Thi Khin, who was President HCM’s information officer when he was in Cao Bang.