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HANOI: Vietnam supports Cambodia’s plan to build a canal from the Mekong River to the Cambodian coast and wants to participate in finding ways to address the possible negative impacts of the canal, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Thursday (Aug 8).
Cambodian authorities break ground Cambodia’s government said work on the $1.7 billion Funan Canal project, which aims to divert much of Cambodia’s shipping traffic away from Vietnam, will begin on Monday.
“We support the project and respect the decision to build the canal,” said Doan Khok Viet, spokesman for Vietnam’s Ministry of Water Resources, at a regular news conference.
He added: “We hope to collaborate with Cambodia on research and impact assessment so that we can find appropriate solutions to reduce the impact.”
Cambodia has repeatedly downplayed environmental concerns about the new canal, while environmentalists and Vietnamese authorities say it could further damage the fragile Mekong Delta, a large rice-producing region.
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