This was a key agenda item at the 29th Meeting of the Mekong River Commission (MRC) with Dialogue Partners (China and Myanmar) and the 60th Meeting of the MRC Joint Committee, held on 29–30 September in Vientiane, Lao PDR.
The meetings, chaired by the Lao Commissioner - who currently serves as Chairperson of the MRC Joint Committee for 2025 - brought together representatives from the four member countries (Cambodia, Lao PDR, Thailand, and Viet Nam), dialogue partners, and the MRC Secretariat.
The Vietnamese delegation was led by Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Linh, Chief of Office of the Viet Nam National Mekong Committee and Member of the MRC Joint Committee, accompanied by representatives from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Standing Office of the Viet Nam National Mekong Committee.
The Mekong River Commission strengthens cooperation with China and Myanmar and outlines its 2026–2030 strategic direction. Photo: Viet Nam National Mekong Committee Office.2026-2030 Sategic Plan
During the Joint Committee Meeting, member countries approved the draft MRC Strategic Plan 2026–2030, which focuses on five key priorities: Full implementation of the 1995 Mekong Agreement and related Procedures for Water Utilization; Strengthening of monitoring, forecasting, and decision-support tools; Enhancing basin-wide coordination in management and operations; Expanding cooperation with upstream countries, development partners, and stakeholders; and Promoting transboundary projects and encouraging community participation.
The member countries also discussed preparations for the 5th MRC Summit, scheduled for April 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand, and agreed on a draft Joint Declaration for the Summit, which will be submitted to the MRC Council for approval in November 2025.
MRC Joint Committee members sign the minutes of the meeting. Photo: Viet Nam National Mekong Committee Office.Advancing Regional Cooperation
Another important agenda item was the plan for data sharing on the operations of hydropower projects across the basin. The MRC Secretariat reported the outcomes of Phase 1, noting that several projects had begun real-time data sharing. Member countries commended the initial progress and proposed expanding the initiative to Phase 2, which will include additional hydropower dams in the data-sharing network.
Representing Viet Nam, Ms. Nguyen Thi Thu Linh emphasized the urgent need for transparency in the operation of water infrastructure and proposed that the MRC prioritize the establishment of a comprehensive flood and drought early warning system for the Lower Mekong Basin. She also called for stronger efforts in monitoring, forecasting, and disaster communication to enhance community preparedness throughout the basin.
During the Dialogue Partners’ Session, China and Myanmar shared updates on water resources, environmental management, and development projects in the upper reaches of the Lancang–Mekong River. The MRC Secretariat presented progress on the Joint Study between the MRC and China on changing hydrological conditions and adaptation strategies, along with ongoing cooperative activities such as establishing a dialogue mechanism, data sharing for flood and drought management, and emergency response coordination.
China reaffirmed its commitment to continue providing hydrological data from its Jinghong and Man’an stations to downstream countries on a regular basis, while expressing interest in accessing data from selected hydrological stations of MRC member states.
All parties reaffirmed the importance of dialogue and cooperation and agreed to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the partnership between the MRC, China, and Myanmar in the third quarter of 2026 in Lao PDR.