via The Irrawaddy Russia has told Myanmar’s military regime it wants majority stakes in investments linked to the stalled Dawei Special Economic Zone, a vast infrastructure scheme in the country’s deep south. The demand was made at the Russia‑Myanmar Business Forum in Moscow, where junta chief Min Aung Hlaing promoted the project’s strategic location in Tanintharyi Region. He urged Russian firms to back ventures including a deep‑sea port, LNG terminal, oil refinery and power plants, describing them as “strategic undertakings” in bilateral cooperation. Tanintharyi’s chief minister Zaw Myo Win highlighted the port’s potential to bypass the Strait of Malacca, cutting shipping times by up to six days and linking directly to Thailand and Vietnam. Russian Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov said negotiations were under way to secure majority ownership for Russian companies during the payback period. He argued this was essential for Russian banks to finance the projects and attract capital. “I am confident we will find a mutually acceptable solution,” he told delegates. The Dawei SEZ was first conceived in 2013 as a trilateral venture with Thailand and Japan, but collapsed amid funding shortfalls and local opposition. Since the 2021 coup, the regime has revived the plan with Russian backing, despite ongoing fighting in the area. Min Aung Hlaing met President Vladimir Putin at the Kremlin earlier in the week to discuss joint development. In recent months, senior regime figures have travelled to Moscow to advance deals on coal‑fired power and refinery projects. Russian firm Inter RAO has already signed an MoU with Myanmar’s Launglon Economic Development Co. for a Dawei power plant. Analysts say the junta is desperate for Russian investment to shore up an economy battered by civil war and Western sanctions. Once centred on arms sales and military training, ties between Moscow and Naypyidaw now extend to energy, trade and infrastructure. At the forum, Min Aung Hlaing also invited Russian participation in other ventures, from Yadanabon Cyber City to solar power and electric vehicles. The event drew regime‑linked tycoons including KBZ Group’s Aung Ko Win and Max Myanmar’s Zaw Zaw, underscoring the close nexus between military power and business interests. Whether Myanmar will accept Russia’s condition of majority control remains unclear. But the push signals Moscow’s intent to secure a dominant role in one of Southeast Asia’s most ambitious — and most troubled — development projects. -2026-08-23
