Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko has arrived in Myanmar for a two-day state visit, the first by a foreign head of state since the military seized power in 2021. Invited by junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, the trip underscores the growing partnership between Minsk and Naypyitaw, extending beyond arms sales into trade, investment and political support.

 

Belarusian state media said talks will focus on agriculture, food security, industry and pharmaceuticals, alongside the signing of new agreements, including a cooperation roadmap for 2026–28. The visit follows earlier meetings in Minsk this year, where both sides discussed closer ties and Myanmar officials studied Belarus’s voting systems.

 

The timing is significant. Myanmar’s generals are preparing for elections in December and January, widely dismissed as a sham. Analysts say Lukashenko’s presence, along with Belarusian election observers expected later this month, is designed to lend credibility to the junta while reinforcing authoritarian solidarity.

 

Days before the trip, Lukashenko approved draft deals with Myanmar, including a mutual visa waiver, a customs cooperation pact and a double-taxation agreement. These measures are seen as attempts to boost investment and cement bilateral relations.

 

Min Aung Hlaing has already visited Belarus twice this year, with further meetings in Russia and China. Cultural exchanges and reciprocal visits have followed, highlighting the unusually close ties between the two leaders. Lukashenko, often labelled “Europe’s last dictator,” is the only head of state to receive an honorary title from the junta chief, setting him apart from other allies such as China and Russia, who have so far limited their engagement to ministerial visits.

 

Belarus established diplomatic relations with Myanmar in 1999 and has long supplied fighter jets and weapons to its military. Since the 2021 coup, Minsk has stood firmly with Russia in backing the junta, even voting against UN resolutions condemning the regime.

 

Lukashenko’s arrival in Naypyitaw signals not only Myanmar’s desperation for recognition but also the consolidation of an authoritarian bloc linking Moscow, Minsk and Myanmar—an alliance that critics say threatens to further isolate the country from the democratic world.

 

-2025-11-28

And here was I thinking that Lukashenko's own regime is looking shaky. If that were true I doubt he'ld be flying all the way to Myanmar ... 

 

Unless he were surveying the territory as a possible refuge for if 'n when. Which would suggest he's off his rocker. Mmmmm.