Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has arrived in Myanmar on a goodwill visit, becoming only the second foreign leader to meet the country’s military leadership since the February 2021 coup that ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s democratically elected government.
His visit comes just weeks before Myanmar’s military government is set to hold national elections widely criticized as a sham.
Lukashenko met Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the country’s de facto leader, at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw on Friday. State media reported that the meeting “demonstrated Belarus’s goodwill and trust towards Myanmar” and marked the first visit by a Belarusian head of state in 26 years of diplomatic relations.
The Belarusian leader was greeted at a military airport by senior military officials, including Prime Minister Nyo Saw, with full state honours and cultural performances. Following his meeting, the leaders agreed to strengthen collaboration in military technologies and trade, a day after signing the Myanmar-Belarus Development Cooperation Roadmap 2026–2028 in Yangon.
Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov highlighted potential cooperation in mechanizing Myanmar’s agriculture, leveraging Belarus’s expertise in mechanical engineering.
Lukashenko’s visit is widely interpreted as signaling support for the upcoming elections in late December, which the military government promotes as a return to normalcy. Myanmar’s state media also confirmed that Belarus plans to send an observation team to monitor the polls.
Since the coup, Myanmar has faced widespread unrest, with popular protests evolving into a prolonged civil war.
Military authorities now control less than half of the country, with ethnic armed groups and the anti-regime People’s Defence Force controlling significant portions of territory. Many critics have questioned the feasibility of holding credible elections under these conditions.
As part of preparations for the vote, the military government announced a mass amnesty on Thursday, releasing or dropping charges against 8,665 people imprisoned for opposing military rule.
Alongside major backers China and Russia, Belarus remains one of the few countries continuing to engage with Myanmar’s junta, despite international condemnation of the regime’s actions since the coup.
Source: Al Jazeera
Written By Rodney Mbua
