Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing has called for Myanmar’s admission as an observer to the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) at the earliest opportunity.
The junta boss was addressing the 4th Eurasian Economic Forum in the Belarus capital of Minsk on Thursday, where he emphasized his regime’s desire to deepen ties with the EAEU as a way of countering international sanctions. The forum ends Friday.
“Let me express my sincere request to support Myanmar’s intention to join the EAEU as an observer state,” Min Aung Hlaing was quoted as saying by the Belarusian Telegraph Agency.
“We intend to further expand the potential of cooperation with the EAEU member states in economy and trade.”
He called for collaboration to “overcome threats in today’s international landscape” and expressed eagerness to “become a part of the EAEU family, particularly in light of the bloc’s ability to demonstrate stable growth even under sanctions and external economic challenges.”
Since the 2021 coup, his regime has faced a series of international sanctions, including from the U.S. and EU. The International Labor Organization (ILO) recently decided to take further action under Article 33.
Min Aung Hlaing has often complained that certain countries are using U.S. dollars to “bully” smaller nations as his regime suffers from a hard currency crisis. The junta has been seeking direct payments in Russian rubles, Chinese yuan, and Thai baht in trade to reduce its dependency on dollars.
At the forum, the junta boss lashed out at political pressure and economic sanctions applied by powerful nations on smaller states, which he described as “violations of the fundamental principles of international relations.”
Founded in 2015 under Moscow’s leadership, the EAEU’s member states include Armenia, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan, with Belarus currently holding the rotating chairmanship.
The bloc has been criticized globally as a Russian geopolitical tool with limited economic success.
Apart from China, Russia is the Myanmar’s junta’s major ally and arms supplier.
The forum in Minsk also saw participation from partner nations like Cuba.
The first Eurasia Economic Forum took place in 2022. Min Aung Hlaing is attending for the first time this year.
On the sidelines he met with Bakytzhan Abdirovich Sagintayev, the chairman of the Board of Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC) on Thursday. The EEC chair promised to help Min Aung Hlaing win observer status at the EAEU, junta media reported.
The regime already signed cooperation agreements in 2023 with both the EAEU and EEC. Their exact details remain unclear, but Min Aung Hlaing mentioned that prior to the signing there were extensive discussions between their representatives in Naypyitaw, covering areas like electricity and energy, agriculture, education, and transportation.
Junta media said Thursday’s discussions focused on improving Myanmar’s agricultural, transportation, and energy sectors, mining technologies, and direct trade and investment among EAEU member states, and organizing trade fairs and forums to strengthen economic ties.
The junta regime has also expressed hopes to join BRICS, led by China, Russia, and India, as an observer country.
In May 2023, the regime was granted the status of “dialogue partner” of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization led by the same three countries.
