Min Aung Hlaing, the leader of the military coup in Myanmar, met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for the first time, which was long overdue. This is another indication of the growing links between the two sanctioned nations.
Min Aung Hlaing, who staged a coup in February 2021 to overthrow Myanmar’s elected government, has traveled to Russia twice since the coup, most recently in July, but has not been able to meet with Putin. He finally met with Putin on Wednesday following the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF), which is being held in Vladivostok, the farthest eastern city in Russia, and is being organized by Moscow.
The meeting went as expected, with Min Aung Hlaing lavishing accolades on the president of Russia. He reportedly stated, “With your help, the country is developing intensely.” “One could argue that Russia rose to the top of the world order when you took over as president.
Officials from Myanmar and Russia signed a strategy for cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy in Vladivostok today. The roadmap mentions the “possibility of launching a small modular reactors project in Myanmar.”
Additionally, Min Aung Hlaing told Russian state media that Myanmar has started purchasing petroleum goods from Russia and would soon receive its first shipment of diesel fuel. Naypyidaw was prepared to pay for supplies in Russian rubles, he continued. “We will pay in whatever currency the Russian side allows. Because there are numerous limitations on accepting and transferring other currencies, this makes things much easier for us, according to Min Aung Hlaing.
