President Vladimir Putin has praised Russia’s growing ties with Myanmar throughout a go to by the Asian nation’s junta chief to its key ally.
Russia is an important arms provider to the ruling army, which is struggling to quell violent opposition to the junta’s rule.
“The relations between our international locations are steadily growing,” Mr Putin instructed junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in a televised assembly on the Kremlin.
“We have now nice potential,” he mentioned, hailing rising commerce ties.
Min Aung Hlaing, who seized energy in a 2021 coup, saluted Mr Putin as a “king” and backed Moscow’s full-scale army offensive on Ukraine.
“I imagine that victory have to be yours beneath your sturdy and decisive management,” he instructed Mr Putin.
Each international locations are beneath heavy Western sanctions — Myanmar following the 2021 coup and Russia after its 2014 annexation of Crimea and its ongoing three-year-long offensive on Ukraine.
Russian assist for Myanmar junta important
Russia exports some uncooked supplies and fertilisers to Myanmar, and either side have talked up the prospect of deepening financial ties alongside their army and political alliance.
“The expanded army ties are linked to the continued supply of Russian arms and army know-how which have been utilized in operations leading to vital civilian casualties and widespread arbitrary detentions because the February 2021 coup,” mentioned Mercy Chriesty Barends, chair of ASEAN Parliamentarians for Human Rights.
“Continued Russian assist for the Myanmar junta is not only an affront to democratic rules however a transparent endorsement of a regime chargeable for conflict crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity,”
she mentioned.
Min Aung Hlaing introduced Vladimir Putin a Buddhist ebook from 1838, which described the relations between the king of Myanmar and Russia throughout his go to.
 (AP Picture: Pavel Bednyakov, pool)
Assembly the Myanmar delegation earlier on Tuesday (Moscow time) Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin mentioned Russia noticed potential to spice up cooperation in vitality, nuclear, transport, agriculture and telecoms tasks.
Moscow’s assist has develop into important to Myanmar’s army — significantly the air power — because it battles an array of ethnic minority armed teams and pro-democracy guerillas on a number of fronts.
The junta suffered vital territorial losses after a 2023 insurgent offensive however its air energy has been pivotal to arresting the advance of opposition forces.
Russia has sought to spice up relations with anti-Western governments, significantly in Asia and Africa, since ordering troops into Ukraine in February 2022.
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AFP/ABC
