Many policies for ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas, and extremely disadvantaged areas were developed and implemented during the 2013-2020 period with the coordination between the Government Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs and the Vietnam Farmers Union (VFU). A conference to review the coordination between the two agencies was held in Hanoi on October 13 under the co-chair of Minister-Chairman of the Government Committee for Ethnic Minority Affairs Hau A Lenh and Chairman of the VFU Luong Quoc Doan. It was reported at the conference that the two sides have worked together on a number of programs, including Program 135, which aims to improve living conditions for rural residents with a particular focus on ethnic minority communities, and a specific policy for socio-economic development in ethnic minority and mountainous areas in 2017 – 2020. Notably, the two agencies has coordinated to build the national target programme on socio-economic development in ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas for 2021-2030. The programs and policies have contributed to fostering the confidence of people of all ethnic groups in the Party and the State, and firmly promoting the great national unity bloc. Participants discussed and agreed on a number of contents for their specific coordination program, including issues related to investment in creating livelihoods and economic development for ethnic minorities. The two agencies signed a cooperation program framework for the 2021-2025 period, and developed a plan for regular tasks of the two sides in 2022. VFU Chairman Luong Quoc Doan expressed his hope that the two sides will continue to cooperate more closely to well implement contents and tasks of the national target program on socio-economic development in ethnic minority-inhabited and mountainous areas for 2021-2030, helping to maintain political stability and successfully carry out the cause of national construction and development. Minister-Chairman Hau A Lenh underlined the need to promote communication work, socio-economic and culture development and new-style rural area building in combination with investment and support for farmers through projects and models in ethnic minority and mountainous areas. He suggested the two sides continue to innovate methods of mobilization and popularization in order to fully equip farmers with knowledge, thus changing outdated farming practices, towards promoting sustainable poverty reduction. (Vietnam Plus [1])