Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung has urged the Defence Ministry to speedup the first phase of the project to build border patrol roads andfinalise the plan for the second phase.

Whilechairing a January 8 conference to review the implementation of theproject in the 2006-2010 period and launch the second phase, PM Dungsaid the plan must suit the economic situation of the country whileensuring forest protection.

The PM made it clearthat the building of roads for patrolling shared border areas is part ofthe Party and State’s policy of enhancing the management and protectionof the national sovereignty and border security, ensuring the socialorder in boundary areas and boosting the local economy and livingconditions of local communities.

He outlined theneeds in building the roads such as improving supervision and managementand ensuring more efficient technical procedures are used.

He said that it is necessary for ministries, sectors and localities tocoordinate closely in land clearance, road construction and use inorder to optimise the investment efficiency.

Areport released at the conference said that despite difficulties createdby complicated terrain and extreme weather in border areas, the patrolroad construction is progressing well.

All routeshave been designed carefully to suite the specific natural conditionsand meet technical standards, said the report.

Theroads, combining with normal roads and other border belts, make up auseful transport system to all border communes, contributing to fuelingsocio-economic development and reducing poverty for locals, most of whomare from ethnic minority groups, the report added.-VNA