In a significant show of diplomatic support for Myanmar's isolated military regime, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has touched down in the country's capital. His arrival marks only the second visit by a foreign head of state since the army seized power in a 2021 coup.
A Controversial Welcome in Naypyitaw
President Lukashenko landed at the military airport in Naypyitaw on Thursday night, where he was greeted with full state honours. Myanmar's Prime Minister Nyo Saw and several Cabinet members headed the welcoming committee, which included cultural performers, according to a report in the state-run Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper.
The visit comes at a politically sensitive time, just one month before Myanmar holds an election that critics have already condemned as neither free nor fair. Lukashenko's presence is widely interpreted as lending an appearance of international legitimacy to the controversial polls.
Deepening Ties Between Pariah States
The relationship between Myanmar and Belarus has strengthened considerably since the 2021 takeover. Belarus has emerged as a major supporter and arms supplier to the military government, alongside other key allies such as China and Russia.
This is not the first high-level contact between the two nations this year. Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the head of Myanmar's military government, travelled to Belarus in both March and June. During the March visit, Lukashenko publicly pledged his support for the military-organised election and promised to send observers to monitor it.
The two leaders are scheduled to meet during the current visit to discuss strengthening friendship and cooperation across various sectors. Several agreements and memorandums of understanding between the two countries are expected to be signed.
International Condemnation and Resistance
Myanmar's military government faces widespread international condemnation for ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021. Many Western nations have imposed sanctions in response to major human rights violations committed while crushing resistance to army rule.
The planned election has been denounced by critics as a sham designed to normalise the military's grip on power. Several opposition groups, including armed resistance forces, have declared their intention to disrupt the polls.
Rights group Justice For Myanmar released a statement on Thursday detailing Belarus's role in building the Myanmar army's technical capacity. The transfers include an Air Defence Operational Command system, radar technology, and ground-based missile systems, significantly enhancing the military's domestic arms industry.
The only other foreign leader to visit Myanmar since the coup was Cambodia's then-Prime Minister Hun Sen in 2022, who visited in his capacity as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
