Attending the Conference were representatives from relevant ministries, departments, and agencies who are members of the Appraisal Council, experts, reviewers, and leaders from relevant units under the Ministry of Planning and Investment. Representing Son La province were Mr. Nguyen Huu Dong - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, and Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Mr. Lo Minh Hung - Standing Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee; Mr. Hoang Quoc Khanh - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; Mr. Nguyen Thai Hung - Member of the Standing Committee of the Provincial Party Committee and Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; Mr. Le Hong Minh - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee; and other leaders of the Provincial People's Council and People's Committee, as well as leaders of departments and agencies of Son La province.

Delegates attending the Conference to Appraise the Son La Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050.

Son La is a mountainous border province located in the Northern Midlands and Mountains region of Vietnam, bordering six northern provinces of Vietnam and the Lao People's Democratic Republic. It borders Lai Chau and Yen Bai to the north, Thanh Hoa and Laos to the south, Hoa Binh and Phu Tho to the east, and Dien Bien to the west. Its strategic geo-economic and geopolitical position is crucial for the Northern Midlands and Mountains region, the country as a whole, and internationally. Situated in the center of the Northwest sub-region, it has advantages in trade with the northeastern provinces of Laos, making it an important economic, cultural, political, and foreign relations center of the Northwest sub-region.

In his opening remarks at the conference, Deputy Minister Tran Quoc Phuong highly appreciated the leadership and guidance of Son La province in the process of implementing and completing the provincial planning; emphasizing that planning plays a very important role in the development of the country in general and the locality in particular, helping us to have a path and direction for development with new thinking, new vision, new approach, new space, creating new impetus for development. Planning must maximize the potential and advantages of the province; limit and overcome difficulties and challenges, thereby facilitating and promoting the rapid and sustainable socio-economic development of the province.

The Deputy Minister requested that Council members and experts provide responsible feedback, focusing on the rationality and compliance with legal regulations on planning; evaluating the planning methodology and content of the Son La Provincial Planning document, especially the application of integrated planning methods using geospatial data; and assessing existing shortcomings and limitations that need to be addressed.

Comrade Tran Quoc Phuong – Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment, Vice Chairman of the Appraisal Council, delivered a speech outlining the content of the Conference.

Comrade Hoang Quoc Khanh – Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, reported on the Son La Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, stating that the goal is to determine the development vision in the medium and long term, to effectively utilize the province's potential and advantages, to serve as a scientific and practical basis for organizing the socio-economic territorial space and building 5-year and annual development plans, meeting the general development requirements of the whole country and building Son La into a green, rapid and sustainable development province on all four pillars: Economic development - Cultural development - Environmental protection - National defense and security. Accordingly, Son La province is divided into 4 inter-district regions including: (1) Urban and National Highway 6 region, (2) Moc Chau Plateau and surrounding area region, (3) Da River reservoir and basin region and (4) Border highland region. The Son La provincial planning has developed development scenarios, breakthroughs, development directions for important sectors and fields, urban and rural planning, functional zones, infrastructure, etc.

Comrade Hoang Quoc Khanh – Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairman of the People's Committee of Son La province, presented a summary of the Provincial Planning and the Environmental Impact Assessment report.

According to the assessment of the Appraisal Council, the Son La provincial planning dossier for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2025, basically meets the requirements of the law on planning. However, it needs to be reviewed and updated regarding the basis for planning, supplemented with data and information related to natural conditions, and further assessed for bottlenecks related to infrastructure development. The development plan for the region, urban development, and transportation network development, as well as the specific characteristics and advantages of Son La province, should be clarified, with a focus on the absolute advantages of Son La province.

Comrade Dinh Trong Thang – Director of the Planning Management Department, Ministry of Planning and Investment, approved the draft report on the appraisal of the provincial planning.

The conference received feedback from experts, discussions from members of the appraisal council, and input from ministries, departments, and agencies.

Prof. Dr. Hoang Van Cuong – Reviewer

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Van Chinh – Reviewer

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Pham Trung Luong – Reviewer

Leaders of the Ministry of Defense

Leaders of the Ministry of Industry and Trade

Leaders of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

After reviewing, evaluating, and discussing, the Appraisal Council unanimously approved the content of the Son La Provincial Planning for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, specifically: (1) Regarding the content of the Provincial Planning, the number of votes in favor was 27/27, with 100% agreement, provided that it is revised and supplemented; (2) Regarding the content of the Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of the Provincial Planning, the number of votes in favor was 27/27, with 100% agreement, provided that it is revised, supplemented, and perfected; (3) Regarding the draft appraisal report of the Provincial Planning, the number of votes in favor was 27/27, with 100% agreement, provided that it is revised, supplemented, and perfected.

On behalf of the Son La Provincial People's Committee, Mr. Le Hong Minh, Vice Chairman of the Son La Provincial People's Committee, received the feedback from ministries, departments, and members of the appraisal council, thereby completing the Son La Provincial Planning dossier for the period 2021-2030, with a vision to 2050, in accordance with the law, and submitting it to the Prime Minister for consideration and approval.

Comrade Le Hong Minh - Vice Chairman of the Son La Provincial People's Committee, delivered a speech acknowledging the feedback received.