20 August 2026

The presidents of Belarus and Myanmar met in an informal setting ahead of official talks

On the eve of official talks, the Presidents of Belarus and Myanmar, Alexander Lukashenko and Min Aung Hlaing, held a meeting in an informal setting, a BELTA correspondent reports.

“Recently, we have been cooperating with you very intensively. And I want to assure you that the Belarusian side will do everything we have agreed on. We have opened all doors to you and to your businesspeople. Please, take a look. Everything that interests you and everything we can do — fr om agriculture to the military-industrial complex — we will do for you,” Alexander Lukashenko stated.

The President of Belarus stressed that the task of heads of state is to open doors so that enterprises can cooperate with one another. “Much will depend on our contact persons. On our side, there are two people — Deputy Prime Minister Viktor Karankevich and Nadezhda Lazarevich, Chairwoman of the Bellegprom concern — who will be directly responsible for cooperation with Myanmar. I believe you have similar people on your side as well. Everything they agree on, we will support and implement,” the Belarusian leader said.

For his part, the President of Myanmar noted that around one hundred business representatives had accompanied him to Belarus, and that the Belarus–Myanmar Business Forum had already been successfully held on the sidelines of the visit in Minsk. “At this forum, we presented products manufactured in our country. Businesspeople from Myanmar will also familiarise themselves with Belarusian products. I am confident that, as a result of the visit, we will be able to increase trade turnover between our countries,” Min Aung Hlaing said. “I assure you that Myanmar is ready to work and fully implement all the agreements reached.”

The Myanmar leader said that he was very pleased to meet the President of Belarus again and that the visit’s schedule was very busy. For example, on the first day of his visit, Min Aung Hlaing travelled outside Minsk and visited the Grodno Azot enterprise. “I have come up with many ideas for cooperation,” he noted.

On the way to Grodno, the President of Myanmar said, he had an opportunity to become more acquainted with Belarus’ natural environment, see its fields and forests, and learn more about the development of agriculture. “I was told that you personally oversee these matters — forests, fields, and livestock farming. I saw that Belarus is developing under your leadership and that there is stability,” Min Aung Hlaing shared his impressions.

Alexander Lukashenko pointed out that the Grodno Region was regarded as the best in the entire country during the Soviet era. “It was the best region in the Soviet Union. Therefore, you have visited the best region of the former empire,” he noted.

The current rainy weather in Belarus also did not go unnoticed during the conversation between the heads of state. “The fact that it rained when you arrived is a good sign for us,” Alexander Lukashenko remarked.

He also noted that the natural environments of Belarus and Myanmar share some similarities. For example, both countries have many forests and much greenery, and it rains frequently. “It is warm wh ere you are now, while it is cool here. This is very good weather for people,” the Belarusian leader said.

Min Aung Hlaing confirmed that temperatures in his homeland are currently around 35–37 degrees, while a couple of months ago it was even hotter, reaching 45–49 degrees. As for rain, there is sometimes an excess of it, which leads to flooding.

The leaders’ working programme began with one-on-one talks in a homely setting and an informal dinner.

The main programme of talks at the level of heads of state is scheduled for Friday, August 21. The Presidents will discuss the state and prospects for developing bilateral cooperation, whose key areas are set out in the 2026–2028 roadmap. These primarily include interaction in industry, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, science, and education. The heads of state will consider concrete steps for the earliest practical implementation of previously outlined plans, as well as new mutually beneficial projects. Attention will also be paid to cooperation between Minsk and Naypyidaw on international platforms.

Following the official talks, documents are planned to be signed to strengthen Belarusian–Myanmar ties in trade and economic, scientific and technical, legal, and other areas.

The official visit of Min Aung Hlaing confirms Belarus’ active efforts to develop relations both directly with Myanmar and with Southeast Asian countries as a whole.