Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam asked Laos to consider new proposals with the Luang Prabang hydropower project, when the Mekong River Commission finalized the project consultation on June 30.

Three member countries of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) yesterday asked Laos to carry out a rigorous assessment of the transboundary impact of Luang Prabang hydropower, strengthening measures to mitigate the potential harm of the project, MRC said.

These proposals from the three countries of the MRC were raised during the June 30 special meeting of the Joint Committee (JC).

Specifically, Cambodia suggested that Laos should conduct more cross-border environmental impact assessment, providing documents on sediment management strategy.

Chanthanet Boualapa, the Lao delegation's leader at the JC meeting, said the government was committed to addressing key concerns, willing to share more information, to organize joint visits and joint monitoring, to ensure

Mr. Boualapacho or Laos has changed the Dam Safety Guidelines, towards meeting international standards.

In order to complete the consultation process of the Luang Prabang project on June 30, JC issued a Statement expressing the views of the MRC, calling on the Lao government to consider and resolve proposals of member countries.

Luang Prabang is Laos' fifth hydro project to be consulted before the MRC.

In September 2019, Laos also submitted its sixth Sanakham hydroelectric dam project, 155 km north of Vientiane.

Laos projects implemented on the Mekong mainstream include Xayaburi, Don Sahong, Pak Beng, Pak Lay, Luang Prabang and Sanakham.

Assessing projects on the Mekong River, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Vietnam repeatedly affirmed that hydropower projects on the Mekong mainstream should ensure that they do not cause negative impacts on the environment and socio-economic life of the Mekong Delta.

The Mekong River has a total length of more than 4,800 km, flows through 6 countries including China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam.

International experts say the hydroelectric dam system on the Mekong is a major cause of record low water levels in 2019, causing severe drought.