On July 1, Con Co island district (Quang Tri province) - the only island in the locality officially became Con Co Special Zone according to the Government's decision after Quang Tri - Quang Binh merged.
Con Co has an area of about 2.3 km2, with nearly 500 people living there. Of which, 24 households with more than 80 people are long-term residents.
Sharing the joy of the first day of becoming a special zone, Ms. Nguyen Thi Be (born in 1990), one of the households settling on the island since 2017, expressed her hope: "Hopefully, in the coming time, policies to support the development of Con Co Special Zone on marine economy, tourism, fishery logistics, civil infrastructure... will be implemented synchronously. Thereby, helping people stabilize their lives and develop the economy sustainably".
On the morning of July 1, cadres and party members at Con Co Special Zone organized a flower offering and incense offering at the President Ho Chi Minh Memorial House and held a meeting of the Standing Committee, Executive Committee, and Decision-making Committee for cadres.
Mr. Vo Viet Cuong - Deputy Secretary of the Party Committee of the Special Zone, former Chairman of the People's Committee of the island district said that the special zone will maintain normal operations and carry out administrative tasks according to the new regulations.
According to regulations, Con Co Special Zone does not organize People's Councils at the special zone level due to low population. The entire administrative apparatus is being consolidated to ensure smooth operation.
Mr. Tran Xuan Anh - Secretary, Chairman of Con Co Special Zone shared that the merger of the province and the establishment of the special zone not only has administrative significance, but also lays the foundation for new steps in the socio-economic development of the North Central region.
In particular, after the visit to the island district of General Secretary and President To Lam in October 2024 and directing the development of the Project "Developing Con Co island district to be strong in economy, strong in national defense and security", cadres and people are more confident that the project will soon be realized.
Cadres, party members, people and armed forces of Con Co Special Zone expressed their consensus and confidence in the leadership of the Party and State. Everyone has identified this as an opportunity to transform, affirming the position of the Fatherland's outpost" - Mr. Tran Xuan Anh emphasized.
In order to facilitate staff, people and tourists, the Quang Tri Provincial Service and Tourism Center has coordinated with Chin Nghia Quang Tri Company Limited to organize a train schedule for entering and leaving the special zone. On July 1 and 2, train fares for the Cua Viet - Con Co route will be reduced by 10% for tourists and 50% for officers, soldiers and people on the island.
The official becoming of Con Co Special Zone not only opens up new momentum for the development of marine economy, tourism, and fishing logistics, but also firmly consolidates the sacred sovereignty of the sea and islands of the Fatherland.
