Myanmar's Military Chief Min Aung Hlaing Meets with Russian Security Officials

Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing met with Russia's top security officials including Sergei Shoigu in Moscow. The meeting comes amid political turmoil in Myanmar following the military coup in 2021. Russia and China support Myanmar's military, opposing a UN resolution on human rights abuses.

In a significant diplomatic engagement, Myanmar's military leader Min Aung Hlaing has met with one of President Vladimir Putin's top security role-holders in Moscow. The military chief was greeted by Sergei Shoigu, secretary of Russia's Security Council, ahead of planned discussions with Putin and the Defence Ministry, as reported by Izvestia.

Hlaing, aged 68, infrequently ventures abroad, however, this meeting marks a notable foreign visit amid ongoing political unrest in Myanmar. The tension escalated after the Myanmar military ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi's government in February 2021, placing the country in a state of turmoil.

Critics have labeled the junta's planned elections this year as a maneuver to maintain military dominance through proxies. Russia, alongside China, remains a staunch supporter of Myanmar's military, both powers having rejected a United Nations Security Council resolution condemning alleged human rights violations in the region. The ties between Myanmar and Russia date back to post-independence in 1948, when the Soviet Union first forged relations.

(With inputs from agencies.)