Myanmar Junta Chief Concludes Vietnam Visit, Bolstering Cooperation

Myanmar’s military-appointed President Min Aung Hlaing concluded a three-day state visit to Vietnam, agreeing with Hanoi’s top leaders to expand cooperation across a broad front. The visit is part of a diplomatic campaign aimed at consolidating ties with regional governments and normalizing relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). During his visit, Min Aung Hlaing met with top Vietnamese leaders including President To Lam and Prime Minister Le Minh Hung. He also held meetings with major Vietnamese firms such as electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer VinFast and the military-run telecoms group Viettel, which operates Mytel, one of Myanmar’s major telecom operators. According to a Vietnamese government statement, defense and security cooperation was a key focus of the talks between Lam and Min Aung Hlaing, with the two leaders elevating it to a key pillar of bilateral ties. They agreed to expand cooperation in military training, exchanges between young officers, search-and-rescue operations, and disaster response, while stepping up information sharing and coordination against crimes. President To Lam stated that Vietnam is ready to share its experience in national development, ensuring economic security, and fostering sustainable growth. Economics and trade were also high on the agenda. Bilateral trade has fallen in recent years as Myanmar has become engulfed in civil conflict. Two-way trade totaled $853 million in 2020 but fell to $590 million in 2025. Speaking at the Myanmar-Viet Nam Business Forum in Hanoi, Min Aung Hlaing called for greater bilateral economic cooperation and increased Vietnamese investment in Myanmar. He specifically sought to expand cooperation in telecommunications, technology, manufacturing, agriculture, energy, tourism, and human resources development. Both sides also reaffirmed a commitment not to allow any individual or organization to use one country’s territory for activities against the other, a similar arrangement to one made during Lam’s visit to Thailand in May. Prime Minister Le Minh Hung congratulated Myanmar on its national governance achievements under Min Aung Hlaing’s leadership and affirmed Vietnam’s support for the government’s continued efforts to promote stability, reconciliation, dialogue, economic development, and improve people’s lives. Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to Vietnam marks his eighth country visit since taking office in April 2021 and the third ASEAN member state. He has also visited India, China, Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan, seeking to consolidate diplomatic relationships and drum up foreign investment in each location. Normalizing relations with ASEAN is a top priority for Min Aung Hlaing, as the bloc has excluded Myanmar from its summits since late 2021 due to its failure to implement the bloc’s Five-Point Consensus conflict resolution plan. This plan calls for a cessation of violence, humanitarian access, and inclusive dialogue, which Myanmar’s government has rejected. Information source: The Diplomat Indonesia