The first national ethnic minority congress will be opened at the My Dinh National Convention Centre in Hanoi on May 12 with the participation of 1,702 ethnic minorities’ representatives.

This was announced at a press briefing by Minister and Chairman of the Committee for Ethnic Affairs Giang Seo Phu in Hanoi on May 7.

This is the first time the Party and State will organise the ethnic minority congress on the national scale, Phu stressed.

The congress will see the attendance of youngest delegate from the Odu ethnic group (12 years old) and the oldest one from the Mong ethnic group (102 years old).

Phu emphasised the congress’ wish to see ethnic groups continue enhancing solidarity, effectively implement hunger eradication and poverty reduction programmes and raise people’s knowledge, thus contributing to national industrialisation and modernisation.

The congress is a special important event in the life of Vietnamese ethnic groups and confirms Vietnam is a united nation of many ethnic groups and the Vietnamese Party and State’s consistent policy on ethnic groups’ issue, work and solidarity.

On the threshold of the congress, the organising board will organise an incense offering ceremony at the Hung Kings’ temple, floral tributes to late President Ho Chi Minh at his mausoleum and the reception given by Party and State leaders to the congress’ delegates./.