Việt Nam hopes Cambodia will continue to closely coordinate with Việt Nam and other countries in the Mekong River Commission (MRC) to fully share information to understand more in-detail impacts of the planned megaproject Funan Techo canal.

Spokeswoman for the foreign ministry Phạm Thu Hằng made the statement at the press briefing on Thursday in Hà Nội, in response to information that Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Sun Chanthol claimed his country is not neglecting providing information about the project to Việt Nam.

The Cambodian official also stated that the project only requires 5 cu.m of water per second, equivalent to 0.053 per cent of the river flow, and stressed that the Funan Techo canal could even contribute to reducing floods in southern Việt Nam.

Foreign ministry spokeswoman Hằng underscored that the information Việt Nam has received so far about the Funan Techo project "is not sufficient to make a detailed, specific assessment of the project's impact."

Therefore, Việt Nam hopes that Cambodia will continue to closely coordinate with Việt Nam and other countries in the Mekong area to share full information and assess the detailed impacts of this project on water resources and the ecological environment of the Mekong River basin sub-region, as well as mutual and long-term management measures to ensure the harmonisation of the interests of riparian countries, efficient and sustainable management and utilisation of Mekong River water resources.

Earlier in a statement released last Sunday, the spokesperson emphasised that: "Việt Nam is very interested in and respects the legitimate interests of Cambodia in accordance with the 1995 Mekong Agreement, relevant regulations of the MRC and the traditional neighborly relationship between the two countries."

On Monday, during a meeting with Cambodian Deputy Prime Minister Neth Savoeun, Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính affirmed that Việt Nam wants to cooperate closely with Cambodia and other countries in the Mekong River basin in activities related to the sustainable use, management, protection, and development of the Mekong River, ensuring the harmonised interests of the countries involved for the sustainable development of the basin and the benefits of communities along the basin.

The Funan Techo Canal is planned to be 180km long, passing through provinces of Cambodia, with approximately 1.6 million people living on both sides of the river's section.

The construction is slated to start at the fourth quarter of 2024 and will take about four years. — VNS