Vientiane (VNA) – Vietnamese Deputy Minister ofNatural Resources and Environment Le Cong Thanh suggested the Mekong River Commission(MRC) focus on practical measures to protect the legitimate rightsand interests of residents who live on the river’s water resources, whileaddressing a ministers’ meeting in Vientiane, Laos, on April 4.

The meeting took place in preparation for the 4th MRC Summit with the attendance of representatives from member countries, namely Cambodia, Laos, Thailand and Vietnam, thedialogue partners of China and Myanmar, development partners, and regional andinternational organisations.

Thanh proposed the commission take measures to help peopleeffectively respond to emergencies caused by natural disasters and pandemics, and ensure that water use, both in the mainstream and tributaries ofthe Mekong River, is put under thorough consideration, not impacting itsnatural flow as well as development towards stability, safety, and security forriverside communities, regardless of their nations.

He also urged the commission to reform its operationalmethods, turning itself into a regional centre of knowledge, and provide information,data, and knowledge about the basin, along with consultations for stakeholdersand sub-regional cooperation mechanisms in a timely manner.

The commission should build a real-time data sharingsystem for water facilities, and improve the quality of flood and droughtforecasting and warning services, he continued.

The member countries agreed on the VientianeDeclaration, to be submitted to the MRC Summit on April 5. They highly valued theimplementation of the Siem Reap Declaration adopted in 2018. It identifiedchallenges, opportunities, orientations and solutions to fruitfully materialisethe 1995 Mekong agreement in the coming time.

They suggested the commission revamp methods ofcross-border cooperation, information and data sharing, consultancy and monitoringover the Mekong River.

Ambassador Ke Yousheng, Permanent Representative ofChina to the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), highlightedcooperation between the commission and the Mekong-Lancang Cooperation in jointresearch on the Mekong River’s flow and sharing hydrological information, affirmingChina’s commitment to continuing its cooperation with the commission in thefuture.

The participating development partners also pledged tocontinue working with the commission to successfully achieve strategic goals,enabling the commission to carry out key activities by 2030./.