Combining socio-economic development with strengthening defence and security in general and in the Central Highlands in particular, is a strategic and consistent policy of our Party and State. In response to the requirements of the national construction and defence task in the new period, it is imperative that Party committees, authorities, armed forces, and the people of the Central Highlands thoroughly grasp and resolutely implement this important policy, thereby creating a solid foundation for the region to achieve rapid and sustainable development in the nation’s development era.

The Central Highlands is an area of particular strategic importance in terms of economy, politics, defence, security, and ecological environment. It is also home to a large population of ethnic minority groups, among whom the living conditions of a part of the population remain difficult. Taking advantage of these characteristics, hostile forces have persistently carried out schemes and tactics aimed at sabotage and incitement, seeking to undermine the great national unity bloc. Therefore, ensuring stable and sustainable development in the Central Highlands is of great significance to the country’s overall development.

Fully aware of this, our Party and State have always paid close attention to the Central Highlands and issued major policies and strategic decisions aimed at promoting socio-economic development in close association with strengthening defence and security in this strategic area. Recently, on 6 October 2022, the Political Bureau (13th tenure) promulgated Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW on “Directions for socio-economic development and ensuring defence and security in the Central Highlands region through 2030, with a vision toward 2045”. This is an important orientation for the Central Highlands to rise and achieve robust development in the new era.

Notably, on 12 April 2025, at the 11th Plenary Session, the Party Central Committee (13th tenure) issued Resolution No. 60-NQ/TW approving the streamlining of the political system apparatus at all levels and the establishment of the two-level local government model. According to the Resolution, the Central Highlands region currently comprises four provinces: Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Lam Dong; this adjustment creates a new development space, connects the mountainous areas of the Central Highlands and the coastal plains; and fosters close bonds with other regions and the nation. This sound and prompt policy has opened up significant opportunities to promote breakthroughs in socio-economic development in the Central Highlands, closely linked with the strengthening of defence and security.

The conference on combining socio-economic development with defence and security consolidation in the Central Highlands in 2024 (Photo: nhandan.vn)

In order for the Party’s policies and resolutions to be effectively implemented in practice and for development potential to be transformed into reality, it is essential to further strengthen the integration of socio-economic development with the enhancement of defence and security in the Central Highlands. To achieve this, Party committees, authorities, armed forces, and the people must focus on thoroughly grasping and strictly implementing the Party’s policies, while continuing to closely integrate socio-economic development with enhancing defence and security in each area and locality. Accordingly, it is necessary to effectively carry out the following key tasks and solutions:

First, strengthening the leadership of the Party, the management of the State, the local Party committees and the local authorities in the development of the Central Highlands region.

This is a matter of principle, and a decisive factor in ensuring that the integration of socio-economic development with the strengthening of defence and security is implemented in a unified, synchronised, and effective manner. Accordingly, Party committees, authorities, agencies, armed forces, and localities within the region must thoroughly grasp and resolutely, effectively implement the Party’s guidelines and policies, as well as the State’s policies and laws related to the construction and development of the Central Highlands, particularly Resolution No. 23-NQ/TW dated 6 October 2022, of the Political Bureau (13th tenure).

Based on the assigned functions and tasks, Party committees at all levels must proactively issue thematic resolutions, provide leadership to enhance the quality of strategic advisory work, formulate master plans; and strengthen the capacity and responsibility of specialised agencies in the implementation process. At the same time, it is necessary to enhance the effectiveness of coordination among agencies and units of the Army, the Public Security, and local authorities; and to strictly conduct inspection, supervision, preliminary and overall reviews of the tasks of integrating economic, cultural, and social development, as well as the protection of natural resources and the environment, with strengthening defence, security, and foreign relations at all levels, sectors, units, and localities in the Central Highlands region.

The leading, directing, and implementing process must adhere to the following principle: economic, cultural, and social development in line with the protection of natural resources and the environment to create the foundation for strengthening defence and security and maintaining political and social stability; the strengthening of defence and security and the maintenance of political and social stability serve as a solid basis for rapid and effective economic, cultural, and social development. The integration of these two strategic tasks must be concretised in each locality and area, in accordance with the natural and socio-economic conditions of the region; and linked to the expansion of connectivity between the Central Highlands and other regions, major economic centres nationwide, as well as countries in the region and internationally. Thereby creating new development space and enhancing the potential and posture of defence - security in the Central Highlands in the new period.

Second, promoting propaganda and education to raise awareness among the entire population and the armed forces regarding the task of integrating socio-economic development with the strengthening of defence and security in the Central Highlands region.

Propaganda and education work directly determine the unity of awareness and action among the entire people and the entire military with regard to the mission of combining socio-economic development with the strengthening of defence and security. Accordingly, Party committees, authorities, agencies, and armed forces units in the region must thoroughly grasp the importance of this strategic task and incorporate it into the practical processes of leading, directing, administrating, and organising the implementation in each sector, locality, agency, and unit.

Focus on enhancing defence and security knowledge for cadres, religious dignitaries and practitioners, village elders, village heads, and the entire population; particularly for leaders and key cadres at all levels. The training content must cover the core issues related to the integration of socio-economic development with the strengthening of defence and security in the strategies, plans, and policies of the Party and the State. This, in turn, helps cadres, the armed forces, and the people clearly understand and properly implement guidelines and laws, thereby fostering broad consensus and a high level of unity in carrying out assigned tasks.

Propaganda and education works should be conducted in diverse forms, appropriate to the customs, traditions, and cultures of ethnic communities in the Central Highlands. Focus on combining traditional methods of propaganda and education with the application of science and technology, digital transformation, and modern media platforms; and effectively integrating these efforts with programmes for disseminating political and legal knowledge, improving educational attainment, and promoting “digital literacy for the masses”, etc. Through this approach, cadres, soldiers, and people of all ethnic groups in the Central Highlands will be able to access, understand, and apply relevant knowledge, and actively participate in socio-economic development in close association with the strengthening of defence and security, thereby contributing to the increasingly sustainable development of the Central Highlands in the new period.

Lt. Gen. Dao Tuan Anh checks training work at Brigade 40, Military Corps 34 (Photo: qdnd.vn)

Third, ensuring that all socio-economic development plans, programmes, and projects in the Central Highlands are closely integrated with the strengthening of defence, security, and foreign relations.

This is a content and measure that directly concretises the requirement of integrating national construction with national defence in the Central Highlands. In the process of formulating and implementing socio-economic development plans, programmes, and projects, authorities at all levels, sectors, the armed forces, and localities must effectively address the relationship between economic, cultural, and social development and the strengthening of defence, security, and external relations, and vice versa; at the same time, it should be identified as an important criterion in leadership, direction, and overall administration of the region’s development process.

Based on the assigned functions and tasks, central ministries and agencies, as well as localities in the region, need to formulate and synchronously implement short-term, medium-term, and long-term development strategies and plans; closely integrate defence and security tasks into socio-economic development planning. It is also necessary to strengthen coordination between ministries, sectors, and provinces in the region; link key economic zones with provincial-level defensive areas and the defence posture of military regions and corps. Through this approach, the region’s potential and comparative advantages can be fully leveraged, while simultaneously consolidating a strong all-people defence and people’s security posture.

Continue to review, supplement, and perfect the system of legal documents related to the integration of socio-economic development with the strengthening of defence and security, thereby creating a coherent, clear, and unified legal framework that enables ministries, sectors, agencies, units, localities, enterprises, and the people to implement it effectively. At the same time, formulate and implement specific plans to encourage the participation of economic organisations and citizens. Establish synchronised and comprehensive mechanisms and policies, with priority given to mechanisms for mobilising resources, allocating and utilising capital for projects and national target programmes on socio-economic development and the strengthening of defence and security in key areas, border belts, and strategic localities of the Central Highlands.

Fourth, continuing to build and effectively operate the two-tier local government system in conjunction with strengthening a firm defensive zone.

This is a solution of particularly important significance, directly enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of state governance, while also creating a solid foundation for building firm defensive zones from the grassroots level. The serious implementation of Resolution No. 60-NQ/TW adopted at the 11th Plenum Session of the Party Central Committee (13th tenure) must be identified as a consistent requirement, aimed at streamlining the organisational apparatus to make it lean, effective, efficient, close to the people and serving the people; ensuring centralised and unified leadership and management; and enhancing the capacity to manage socio-economic development in close association with the fulfillment of defence and security tasks.

Based on the reorganisation of administrative units into four new provinces: Quang Ngai, Gia Lai, Dak Lak, and Lam Dong, localities should seize opportunities to create new development space, unlock resources, and attract investment as well as high-quality human resources. Priority should be given to developing dual-use infrastructure, ensuring regional and interregional connectivity to support the sustainable development in the Central Highlands; prioritising the development of green economy, digital economy, circular economy, high-tech agriculture and forestry, and modern, dual-use industries associated with the protection of natural resources and the environment; and building, managing, and safeguarding military, defence, and security facilities, etc. At the same time, attention must be paid to improving the material and spiritual life of ethnic minority communities, strengthening the great national unity bloc, consolidating the “people’s heart and mind posture”, and building a rapidly and sustainably developing Central Highlands region.

Along with building and effectively operating the two-tier local government system, provinces in the Central Highlands need to continue adjusting, developing, and consolidating defensive zones at all levels in a comprehensive and solid manner in terms of potential, forces, and posture. They should proactively adjust and supplement combat determinations, operational plans, and defensive strategies; perfect and enhance the effectiveness of newly established agencies and units, such as regional defence command boards and border guard command boards. Local armed forces must be built comprehensively strong, with high combat readiness, truly serving as the core force in maintaining political stability, social order and safety, and in promptly and effectively handling defence and security situations in the area.

Fifth, integrating the strengthening of defence and security in every socio-economic development plan and programme of localities, regions, and the entire Central Highlands.

Thoroughly grasp and effectively implement the Party and the State’s guidelines and policies, “...closely integrate and synchronously implement tasks, in which socio-economic development is the central task; Party building is the key task; cultural development is the spiritual foundation; and ensuring defence and security is a vital and regular task”. On that basis, each province and each region should fully incorporate defence and security tasks into their long-term, medium-term, and annual planning. Building a strong all-people defence and people’s security, and closely linking the all-people defence and the people’s security posture with a firm “people’s hearts posture”.

Focus on investing and developing defence-economic and economic-defence zones; perfecting the management and coordination mechanisms between economic-defence units and local authorities; and to developing models and orientations for applying the economic-defence model to specific areas. Efforts should be made to organise, invest in building, developing, and effectively operating  economic-defence zones, military corps, and economic-defence units in the region, especially in key areas, remote and isolated regions, and border areas, aiming at protecting the borders, independence, sovereignty, and national interests while contributing to socio-economic development, maintain political stability, and improve the living standards of the people in the Central Highlands.

Continue to adjust, organise, and deploy the armed forces of the military regions, military corps, and local armed forces, as well as the defensive zones of the four provinces in the Central Highlands, in conjunction with the organisation and deployment of units under the Ministry of National Defence and the Public Security to promote the strengths of each force, concentrate efforts on key directions, areas, targets, and strategic locations; create a solid strategic position with high mobility and combat readiness across different regions and localities. At the same time, actively participate in ensuring political security, social order and safety, while assisting local authorities and the people in production activities and in socio-economic and cultural development in the localities.

Organise the construction of defence industrial facilities in a proactive, self-reliant, modern, and dual-use manner; not only conducting research, production, and maintenance of modern weapons and equipment to enhance supply capacity for armed forces in combat readiness and operations, but also engaging in production activities that contribute to socio-economic development in the Central Highlands region. Regularly consolidate and enhance civil defence capabilities, improve capacity to respond to non-traditional security challenges, prevent, mitigate, and relieve the consequences of natural disasters, catastrophes, and epidemics; effectively address ethnic and religious issues, prevent and struggle against “peaceful evolution” strategies and subversive riots, and remain ready to respond to emergency defence and security situations in the area. Thereby, creating a solid, interconnected strategic defence posture, maintaining a peaceful and stable environment and favourable conditions for the Central Highlands to achieve rapid and sustainable development.

Combining socio-economic development with the strengthening of defence and security in the Central Highlands region is of great significance and is inseparable. In the process of implementation, it is essential to thoroughly grasp and strictly carry out the Party and the State’s guidelines and policies; enhance the leadership role of Party committees, local authorities, agencies, and armed force units at all levels; intensify propaganda and education; and conduct planning and coordinated implementation among agencies, units, and localities. Thereby, creating strong momentum for the Central Highlands to develop rapidly and sustainably, contributing to firmly building and safeguarding the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in an era of striving toward strength and prosperity.

Lieutenant General, PhD. DAO TUAN ANH, Commander of Military Corps 34