Myanmar junta boss Min Aung Hlaing last week rolled out the red carpet for a Russian Federation governor who has been sanctioned by the U.S. for forced conscription.
Min Aung Hlaing received Alexey Sambuevich Tsydenov, who was on a goodwill visit to Myanmar, at the Credentials Hall in Naypyitaw on Friday, state media reported.
Tsydenov was appointed governor of Buryatia, a republic in the Russian Far East bordering Mongolia, by President Vladimir Putin in 2017.
In February 2023, the U.S. sanctioned him along with more than 40 Russian Federation governors for forcibly conscripting citizens to fight in Ukraine. A fellow international pariah, Min Aung Hlaing introduced a conscription law in February this year for all men aged 18-35.
The governor’s visit comes as reports indicate that the junta boss will soon embark on a fourth visit to Russia.
Official media reported that Min Aung Hlaing and his Siberian guest discussed the exchange of goodwill visits between Myanmar and Russia, technical assistance for improving industrial production in Myanmar, expansion of direct flights, cooperation in agriculture, transportation, tourism, healthcare, education, and religion, as well as scholarships and cultural exchanges.
In the evening, Min Aung Hlaing and Tsydenov attended Tazaungdaing Festival celebrations and a hot air balloon competition at the Maravijaya Buddha, a colossal white marble statue commissioned by the junta boss.
Min Aung Hlaing released a huge hot air balloon trailing the word “Buryatia” in fairy lights.
Tsydenov, who arrived in Myanmar on Nov. 12, visited major tourist spots like Yangon, Chaungtha Beach, and Bagan before meeting the junta boss. He told Min Aung Hlaing that he had “strongly felt the country’s tranquility and beauty,” a statement that may seem baffling in view of the civil war engulfing Myanmar.
But the sites Tsydenov visited are relatively tranquil and have not yet been affected by armed conflict, which rages chiefly in Kachin, Karenni, Karen, Chin, Rakhine, northern Shan states and Sagaing, Magwe and Mandalay regions.
With vacationers from Western countries shunning Myanmar since the coup, the regime has focused on attracting Russian travelers over the past year. Direct flights have been launched and Russian-language classes opened for junta employees, though so far to little effect.
Russia embraced the regime after the 2021 military takeover, supplying weapons, diplomatic support, and cooperation in various other sectors.
Earlier this month, Russia and Belarus accepted the credentials of former military officer Thein Linn Aung as Myanmar ambassador to both countries.
Reports say Min Aung Hlaing will also visit Belarus during his trip to Russia. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said it discussed preparations for “upcoming events between the two countries” with the envoy.
Min Aung Hlaing visited Russia in 2021 and twice in 2022, meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin.
