ANSWER TO CORRESPONDENT BY MR. LE DZUNG, THE SPOKESMAN

OF THE VIETNAMESE MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ON 18^th AUGUST 2004

AWSJ:  Please could you comment on the report concerning the building of the Yali Falls dam on the Se San River?

Answer:

The construction of hydropower plants on the Se San River has been implemented under the agreement between the Governments of Vietnam and Cambodia upon taking into account mutual interests of the two countries. Competent agencies of the two countries have worked out concrete co-coordinating measures to minimize possible negative impacts on the downstream of the Se San River in the Cambodia's territory.

Over the past time, the Vietnamese side has faithfully implemented its commitments and this has been recognized by both the Cambodian side and the Mekong River Commission (MRC). In view of cooperation within the MRC, the Se San hydropower development in Vietnam is based on the Agreement on Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin and Procedures/Rules thereunder, which represent the most important legal framework for hydropower development on the Se San River. The Agreement and these legal documents include the most important regulations on management, exploitation, and protection of the environment of international rivers. Vietnam always proactively promotes full and strict observation of regulations and agreements within the framework of the MRC cooperation. Vietnam had taken initiative in notifying Cambodia and the MRC of the hydropower projects on the Se San river as stipulated in Article 5 of the Agreement: namely, Notification of the Ialy Project on 20 September 1997, Se San 3 on 17 March 2000, Se San 3A on 23 April 2003 and Plei Krong on 11 September 2003. Vietnam has also invited international consultants to participate in the assessment of environmental impacts of these projects.

To prevent the downstream of the Se San river from possible negative impacts, Vietnam and Cambodia have set up the Se San River Water Management Committee which convenes annually. The two sides have also established a mechanism of regular information exchange such as monthly reports, emergency alerts on the regime, operating process and discharge of water of Ialy hydropower plant as well as flood alerts and river water quality control.

At the August 2001 meeting of the Committee in Nha Trang, Vietnam, the Cambodian delegation acknowledged the operation of Ialy hydropower plant had contributed to the increment of low flow and constraining floods during rainy season in the downstream of the Se San River in the Cambodia's territory. The Cambodian side also agreed that water of Se San River in Cambodia is safe.

After four years of operation of the Ialy Hydropower Plant, there has been no substantial environment impact. The Vietnam side has been annually visiting and working with Ratanakiri counterpart on the socio-economic developments in general and on the Se San in particular. Regular cooperation between the two countries via the above-mentioned mechanism has been created favorable conditions for both sides in updating information on hydropower development on the Se San River and in discussing and reviewing the execution, thus timely adjust agreements between the two countries on solving the Se San River hydropower issues. The two sides have agreed upon and cooperated in carrying out two projects namely Environment Impact Assessment and Hydro-dynamic modeling of the downstream of the Se San river.

Those above evidences indicate that the hydropower development on Se San river has been effectively being solved by the cooperation between Vietnam and Cambodia and the MRC.