No permanent structure has been built on the Mekong River at the controversial Xayaburi dam site, a spokesman from the Mekong River Commission said yesterday.

However, Surasak Glahan, communications officer with the MRC secretariat in Laos, said work completed at the site in northern Laos was substantial, based on a report he had received from officials.

“Their observation is that it appears that the project is in an advanced preparation stage with substantial site establishment activities and exploratory excavation in and around the river completed,” he said.

“However, as the [Lao] Ministry of Energy and Mines has reported, no permanent structure has been built in the river.”

Glahan said access roads had also been built at the site.

Officials from Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam and the Mekong River Commission were invited to view the site of planned 1,260 megawatt dam on Monday and Tuesday.

To contact the reporter on this story: Shane Worrell at [email protected]