Myanmar's Min Aung Hlaing meets Putin in Moscow

Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing met Russian President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin on Tuesday, his first visit to Moscow since becoming civilian president, as Moscow said it was advancing nuclear power plant plans and signed a new energy cooperation memorandum with Myanmar.

Min Aung Hlaing told Putin through an interpreter that relations between Myanmar and Russia were developing quickly. “Thanks to Russia's and your personal support we've achieved many results on the international stage,” he said. He also called Myanmar “a reliable partner for Russia in southeast Asia.”

Putin said the two countries were “actively cooperating on the international stage” and said “work needs to be done on the economic front.” He said security ties were “developing.”

At an earlier meeting, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said Moscow was “moving forward with implementing the agreements on the construction of a small-capacity nuclear power plant in Myanmar.” Russia's energy ministry said a memorandum of understanding was signed to increase cooperation in electricity and the oil and gas industry, without giving further details.

Russia was one of the few countries that backed Myanmar after the 2021 military coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s elected government and triggered a civil war estimated to have killed more than 100,000 people.

Min Aung Hlaing became Myanmar’s president in April after elections that Western nations and democracy watchdogs dismissed as a sham. Myanmar and Russia signed a five-year military cooperation pact in February, although few details were released.

The Myanmar military uses Russian-made jets against rebel factions. UN investigators and rights groups have accused it of targeting civilians, in attacks some conflict monitors say amount to war crimes.

Tuesday’s visit was Min Aung Hlaing’s sixth official trip to Moscow since the 2021 coup.