Russia says to boost military ties with Myanmar as junta leader visits
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[June 23, 2021]
MOSCOW (Reuters) -Russian Defence
Minister Sergei Shoigu told Myanmar's junta leader Senior General Min
Aung Hlaing that Moscow is committed to strengthening military ties with
it, Russia's RIA news agency reported.
Rights activists have accused Moscow of legitimising the junta, which
seized power in a Feb. 1 coup, by continuing bilateral visits and arms
deals.
"We are determined to continue our efforts to strengthen bilateral ties
based on the mutual understanding, respect and trust that have been
established between our countries," RIA quoted Shoigu as saying at a
meeting on Tuesday.
Min Aung Hlaing was in the Russian capital to attend a security
conference and had earlier met Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of
Russia's Security Council.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Jun/23/images/ads/current/crmmaterials_sda_DAILY_051221.png)
Defence ties between the two countries have grown in recent years with
Moscow providing army training and university scholarships to thousands
of soldiers, as well as selling arms to a military blacklisted by
several Western countries.
Little light was shed on how cooperation between Russia and Myanmar may
develop and whether Moscow would be willing to sell more military
equipment there.
Since the army seized power and removed Aung San Suu Kyi's elected
government, troops have put down pro-democracy demonstrations and
strikes and killed or arrested hundreds of protesters.
Addressing a Moscow conference on Wednesday, Min Aung Hlaing repeated
that the army took power by force because Suu Kyi's party won the
election through fraud - an accusation rejected by the previous election
commission and international monitors.
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![](../images/062321PIX/news_y47.jpg)
Russia's Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Myanmar's Commander
in-Chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing walk past the honour guard
prior to their talks in Moscow, Russia June 22, 2021. Picture taken
June 22, 2021. Vadim Savitskiy/Ministry of Defence of the Russian
Federation/Handout via REUTERS
![](../images/ads/current/centraldirect_lda_SPONSOR_2021.png)
With Myanmar being one of the traditional export
markets for the Russian weaponry, rising tensions there provide
Moscow with a good chance to increase military sales, Alexey
Kirichenko, Associate Professor at the Institute of Asian and
African Countries at the Moscow State University, said.
"This makes it possible for Russia to conclude lucrative
contracts... The situation in the country is very difficult, and the
Burmese military needs to build up their military potential," he
said.
On Tuesday, Myanmar security forces backed by armoured vehicles
clashed with a newly formed guerrilla group in the second biggest
city Mandalay, resulting in at least two casualties.
Russia said in March it was deeply concerned by the rising number of
civilian deaths in Myanmar. President Vladimir Putin does not plan
to meet Min Aung Hlaing on his visit to Moscow, Kremlin has said.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2021/Jun/23/images/ads/current/charrons_bch041713.png)
(Reporting by Olzhas Auyezov, Katya Golubkova and Gleb Stolyarov,
Editing by Timothy Heritage and Angus MacSwan)
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