Continue research to adjust and supplement to complete the draft law.

At the meeting, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, member of the Party Central Committee, member of the Central Military Commission, Chief of the General Staff of the Vietnam People's Army, and Deputy Minister of National Defense, explained and clarified a number of issues raised by members of the National Assembly Standing Committee.

Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong said that the drafting committee will continue to research to adjust and supplement the draft Law on Management and Protection of National Defense Works and Military Zones.

During the discussion, some opinions in the National Assembly Standing Committee expressed concern about the provisions on changing the purpose of use of defense works and military zones in the draft law.

After listening to comments from members of the National Assembly Standing Committee, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong, on behalf of the standing body of the Drafting Committee - Ministry of National Defense, expressed his thanks to the Government agencies, the National Assembly Committees as well as local leaders for their attention, support and assistance in the process of drafting the Law on Management and Protection of National Defense Works and Military Zones; said that the Drafting Committee will continue to study to adjust and supplement for perfection.

Further clarifying the conversion of land use purposes for national defense and military zones, Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong stated the fact that there are currently difficulties arising from the implementation process.

"If the conversion of normal defense land, with planning and no defense works, is decided by the locality, with the approval of the Ministry of Defense. But if that land is not in the planning or there are defense works on that land, it is decided by the Prime Minister," Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong said, pointing out the reality that there are defense works and military zones that have not been handed over to the locality for socio-economic development for many years. In some localities, when they receive the works, the works have degraded and cannot be used anymore.

"This is a very difficult task because it involves public assets that must be appraised, depreciated, and restructured for use... In the first draft, two options were proposed, then the Government agreed to propose one option, and the Government has also submitted this option for convenience in the use process," said Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Tan Cuong.

Harmoniously combine management and protection activities of national defense works and military zones with socio-economic development.

At the meeting, members of the National Assembly Standing Committee highly appreciated the National Assembly's Defense and Security Committee and the Ministry of National Defense for their careful coordination in preparing documents and seriously absorbing the opinions of National Assembly deputies.

The National Assembly Standing Committee also believes that this is a new law, an important political task of the entire Party, people, army, and political system, not just the private matter of the Ministry of National Defense.

According to Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh, because this is a new law, it needs to be carefully reviewed to fulfill both tasks: managing and protecting national defense works and military zones, but also creating conditions to use the potential and advantages of each region and locality in socio-economic development.

Overview of the meeting.

Appreciating the drafting agency for preparing the draft law quite carefully, however, Vice Chairman of the National Assembly Nguyen Khac Dinh requested that the drafting committee continue to review the provisions in the draft law, ensuring timeliness and not causing obstacles in the implementation process.

Head of the Delegation Affairs Committee Nguyen Thi Thanh also highly appreciated the examining agency - the National Defense and Security Committee and the drafting agency - the Ministry of National Defense for their close coordination during the past time to receive, explain and revise the draft law; the reception and explanation were very serious and thorough in understanding the opinions of the National Assembly deputies.

Commenting on the protection regime for restricted areas and safety belt protection areas in the draft law, Head of the Delegation Work Committee Nguyen Thi Thanh suggested that it is necessary to carefully review the regimes and protection measures applied to each defense project and each military area to be both consistent with the Constitution and consistent with the guiding viewpoint on law making in the Government's Submission: Harmoniously combining the management and protection of defense projects and military areas with socio-economic development, ensuring the legitimate rights and interests of the people.

Cases of defense works and military zones that are converted for use (in the draft law) include:

a) Change of purpose of use within the Ministry of National Defense according to military and defense mission requirements;

b) No longer needed for military or defense purposes, the purpose of use needs to be converted to socio-economic development and to serve people's needs;

c) There is still a need to use for military and defense tasks but it is within the scope of implementing a socio-economic development project according to the planning approved by a competent authority, and the agency, organization, or investor implementing the project has a need to use it and the Ministry of National Defense agrees in writing on the change of purpose of use during the process of approving the project investment policy.

PHUONG ANH

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