Attending the event were Cha A Cua, Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee, President of the provincial Vietnam Fatherland Front (VFF) Committee, and Head of the provincial Steering Committee on Religious Affairs; Dang Ngoc Hau, Vice Chairman of the provincial People's Committee; leaders from provincial departments and agencies; leaders of the Party Committees, People's Committees, and VFF committees of the communes; as well as Party cell secretaries, hamlet heads, heads of Fatherland Front working groups, and religious dignitaries and officials in the communes.

The province has 67 communes located in ethnic minority and mountainous areas, 66 of which are classified as "Area III" (areas facing the greatest socio-economic hardship). Cluster No. 1 consists of the four border communes of Sop Cop, Pung Banh, Muong Lan, and Muong Leo. In recent years, religious dignitaries, officials, and influential figures have effectively served as a bridge between Party committees, authorities, and the people.

They have actively disseminated information and encouraged local residents to comply with Party guidelines and State policies and laws; participated in safeguarding national security, the borderline, and boundary markers; maintained public order and security; strengthened the great national unity bloc; and fostered Vietnam-Laos friendship.

At the event, delegates exchanged valuable experiences and creative approaches regarding socio-economic development, sustainable poverty reduction, new rural area construction, and the preservation of ethnic cultural identities. They also voiced the legitimate aspirations of local communities and proposed solutions to enhance the effectiveness of ethnic and religious affairs at the grassroots level.

Speaking at the event, Cua commended the contributions made by religious dignitaries and officials, village elders, hamlet heads, and other influential figures to the province's development. He urged localities to continue strengthening the great national unity bloc; effectively implement ethnic and religious policies as well as national target programmes; and step up efforts to encourage public compliance with the law and raise vigilance against activities that exploit ethnic and religious issues. 

Furthermore, he emphasised the need to maintain security and order in border areas, protect the border line and markers, and combat crime; strengthen people-to-people and border-guard diplomacy; and improve the quality of the grassroots political system while leveraging the role of influential figures in monitoring the situation and addressing legitimate public petitions right at the local level.

On behalf of the provincial People's Committee, Vice Chairman Hau acknowledged the directions from the Deputy Secretary of the provincial Party Committee and the proposals made by the delegates.

He tasked the Department of Ethnic and Religious Affairs with compiling and studying these inputs to provide written responses in accordance with regulations, while also coordinating efforts to study and replicate the model of commune or cluster meetings across the province in the near future.

On this occasion, the provincial Party Committee, People's Council, People's Committee, and Vietnam Fatherland Front Committee presented 26 gift packages to these influential figures and religious dignitaries and officials./.