Myanmar’s junta signed deals on wind energy and direct flights with Russia during the International Economic Forum in St Petersburg last week.
Junta electricity minister Thaung Han signed a memorandum of understanding on Thursday with NovaWind, a subsidiary of Russia’s state-owned nuclear firm Rosatom, and two Russian companies on wind-power feasibility studies.
Myanmar and Russia share international pariah status since the 2021 coup and the 2022 invasion of Ukraine with Moscow providing the junta with most of its weapons.
A 116-megawatt wind power project is being planned in Minhla and Mindon (56mw) in Magwe Region and Popa (20mw) in Kyaukpadaung Township or Nyaung U Township in Mandalay Region, according to the forum.
In March Rosatom representatives visited Myanmar and submitted project proposals for 300mw of wind power projects.
The junta, however, says it wants to generate over 8 gigawatts of wind power to supply six industrial zones.
Thaung Han met Alexey Likhachev, the Rosatom director general, in St Petersburg to discuss possible power projects.
The junta also discussed direct flights with Russia.
Myanmar Airways International will fly from Yangon and Mandalay to Moscow and Novosibirsk once a week from July, Dr Kan Zaw, the junta’s investment and foreign economic relations minister, told the forum.
He also said the Ministry of Hotels and Tourism will introduce a goodwill scheme with Russia, including visa exemptions.
Than Than Swe, the junta-appointed Central Bank of Myanmar governor, met Elvira Nabiullina, the Bank of Russia chair, on Saturday to discuss capacity-building initiatives, financial cooperation and mutual payments through integrated cards. Both Russia and Myanmar are locked out of international financial networks by sanctions.
On Thursday the Myanmar Payment Union and Russia’s National Payment Card System signed a payments agreement.
Than Than Swe told pro-Kremlin Sputnik that Myanmar is considering joining the New Development Bank operated by Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, the so-called Brics.
The bank reportedly has annual infrastructure lending of US$34 billion.
Russia has given a lifeline to the junta as it struggles to quash domestic resistance and secure international legitimacy, the International Crisis Group reported in August last year.
“The West worries that Moscow could use these ties to dodge sanctions…Foreign governments should continue imposing targeted sanctions on the Myanmar regime and strengthen enforcement of bilateral arms embargoes,” the report said.
