President Tran Dai Quang (fourth, right) and officials plant trees at the relic site where late President Ho Chi Minh visited workers of the Deo Nai coal mining site on March 30, 1959 (Photo: VNA) Quang Ninh (VNA) – President Tran Dai Quang has called on people to plant trees accordingto their conditions, noting that it is vital for each country to simultaneouslyensure economic growth and environmental protection.
He made the appeal at the launch of a treeplanting festival at the environmental recovery area of the Deo Nai Coal JointStock Company, an affiliate of the Vietnam National Coal-Mineral IndustriesHolding Corporation Ltd., in Cam Pha city, the northern province of Quang Ninh,on February 2.
In his speech, he said on November 28, 1959, theNhan dan (People) newspaper published an article entitled “Tree plantingfestival” written by then President Ho Chi Minh. The article analysed theimportance of planting trees to the country and each people and called for allpeople’s engagement in the work.
Since then, the tree planting festival hasbecome a custom practiced whenever a new year comes. Tree planting andafforestation activities have been conducted in a widespread and effectivemanner and greatly helped with environmental protection and socio-economicdevelopment in Vietnam, President Quang said.
He described forest planting and protection as increasinglyimportant amidst global climate change, adding that concrete and practicalmeasures should be taken to prevent deforestation so as to fuel economic growthand improve people’s living standards.
According to the Ministry of Agriculture andRural Development, nearly 222,000ha of land nationwide were covered by forestswhile 7.3 billion USD worth of forest products were exported in 2016.
A number of mechanisms and policies whichcombine forest protection with social welfare ensuring were issued, therebypromoting forestry restructuring. Forestry was a big contributor to theexpansion of the whole agricultural sector, the ministry reported.
Also on February 2, President Quang visited anational relic site where late President Ho Chi Minh visited workers of the DeoNai coal mining site on March 30, 1959.
The same day, Quang visited officials and civilservants of Quang Ninh province on the occasion of the Lunar New Year.
He said as a province with a long borderline andcoast, Quang Ninh must pay special attention to reinforcing defence-security inorder to firmly safeguard the national independence, sovereignty andterritorial integrity. It needs to thoroughly grasp the Party and State’sforeign policy to join neighbouring China in building a border of peace,friendship, cooperation and development.-VNA
VNA
