ASEAN Beat | Diplomacy | Southeast Asia

Myanmar’s Min Aung Hlaing to Visit Vietnam Soon, State Media Says

All four mainland Southeast Asian states have now extended an official invitation to the general-turned-president since his inauguration in April.

Myanmar’s military-appointed president, Min Aung Hlaing, will soon visit Vietnam, his fourth visit to an ASEAN member state since taking office in April, Myanmar state media reported today.

According to a report in the Global New Light of Myanmar, the former general will travel to Vietnam “in the near future” at the invitation of To Lam, Vietnam’s president and the head of the Communist Party of Vietnam. In addition to meeting with Lam, he will also meet with Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Tran Thanh Man, the head of the National Assembly, and “receive representatives from economic organizations.”

“During the visit, the President will hold cordial discussions and exchange views on further consolidation of the existing friendly relations…  as well as cooperation across economic, cultural, and various other sectors,” the report stated.

The announcement, which has not yet been confirmed by Hanoi, comes shortly after Vietnamese Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung traveled to Myanmar last week, the first time that a Vietnamese foreign minister has visited the country since the 2021 coup. During talks with Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw, he “discussed boosting bilateral trade and investment, as well as mutual support on the international stage,” The Irrawaddy reported, citing state media.

Trung also met Lower House speaker Khin Yi and Foreign Minister Tin Maung Swe, to whom he pledged “continued support for Myanmar at the U.N., ASEAN, and other international forums.” Trung also reportedly extended a formal invitation for Min Aung Hlaing to visit Hanoi.

The trip would be the former general’s fourth to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) member state since taking office as president in April, after visits to Laos in early July and Thailand last month and an upcoming trip to Cambodia in early September. He has also made state visits to India and China in June, and to Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan last month.

All of this reflects a concerted push by Min Aung Hlaing to consolidate Myanmar’s relationship with key partners. A top priority, which........

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