Irrawaddy-Dec 9
As Myanmar’s economy continues to shrink under military rule, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has turned to Belarus—often dubbed Europe’s last dictatorship—for expanded military, trade, and investment support.
Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko visited Naypyitaw on November 27 at Min Aung Hlaing’s invitation, staying for eight hours. During the trip, the two sides signed 16 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) covering military cooperation as well as trade and investment. Lukashenko declared that Belarus could supply Myanmar with its needs in exchange for goods and sectors required by Belarus, pledging to deepen bilateral economic engagement. The two countries established diplomatic relations in 1999, with Minsk supplying military hardware including aircraft to the Myanmar military. After Belarus publicly backed the 2021 coup, the regime reciprocated by opening a consulate in Minsk in 2023, expanding cooperation beyond arms sales into trade and investment. During his Naypyitaw visit, Lukashenko said Belarus was interested in exporting products to Myanmar but also in jointly establishing factories and companies there. Myanmar manufacturing and investment have crumbled amid Western sanctions and the withdrawal of multinationals after the military takeover. At a bilateral economic forum in Yangon, the two sides agreed to promote agricultural and food trade, with Myanmar offering rice, rubber, nuts, fruits, and coffee exports, while Belarus proposed supplying dairy and butter. Read more at: https://www.irrawaddy.com/business/as-myanmar-economy-sinks-junta-grabs-lifeline-from-europes-last-dictator.html
