State Visit to Vietnam Announced by Myanmar Media
Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar’s military leader, will soon make a state visit to Vietnam, according to state media. The announcement was made by Global New Light of Myanmar, which said the invitation came directly from To Lam, Vietnam’s president and Communist Party leader. The visit, described as „imminent,” will include meetings with several high-ranking Vietnamese officials, including Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh and Tran Thanh Man, president of the National Assembly. The Myanmar leader is also expected to meet representatives of economic organizations as part of a program designed to deepen bilateral dialogue and cooperation.
Discussions to Focus on Friendship and Strategic Collaboration
According to the press release, talks will be cordial and focus on strengthening existing friendship ties between the two states, as well as expanding cooperation in essential areas such as the economy, culture, and other strategic sectors. These statements highlight the intention to turn a routine protocol visit into a real opportunity to deepen partnership through exchange of perspectives and identification of new joint projects.
Visit Follows Vietnamese Foreign Minister’s Trip to Myanmar
The announcement comes shortly after Vietnam’s Foreign Minister, Le Hoai Trung, visited Myanmar last week—the first such visit by a Vietnamese foreign minister since 2021, when the coup occurred that brought the military to power. During his talks with Min Aung Hlaing in Naypyidaw, Trung emphasized the need to increase bilateral trade and investment and to coordinate positions internationally. He also met Khin Yi, speaker of the Myanmar House of Representatives, and Tin Maung Swe, Myanmar’s foreign minister, assuring them of Vietnam’s continued support in international organizations such as the UN, ASEAN, and other global forums. According to sources, Trung also formally invited Min Aung Hlaing to visit Hanoi, which led to the current announcement of the state visit.
This visit will mark the fourth time Min Aung Hlaing, who came to power through a military process, travels to an ASEAN member state since assuming the presidency in April. Before Vietnam, he visited Laos in early July, Thailand last month, and has a trip planned for Cambodia in early September. In addition, he made state visits to India and China in June, and to Russia, Belarus, and Kazakhstan the previous month. All these diplomatic moves indicate a clear and consistent strategy: strengthening Myanmar’s position on the international stage by reinforcing ties with key partners, especially in Southeast Asia.
Fourth ASEAN Country Visit Since April Inauguration
A central objective of this policy, explicitly mentioned by Min Aung Hlaing in his April inauguration speech, is normalizing relations with ASEAN. Although the 11-member bloc excluded him from its summit meetings at the end of 2021 due to neglect of the five-point plan for resolving the conflict—a pact calling for an end to violence, humanitarian access, and inclusive dialogue involving „all parties” in Myanmar’s crisis—the Myanmar leader appears determined to reverse this trend. Although the government he works with, formed after the multidimensional elections in December and January that were widely criticized as illegitimate, has not yet implemented the measures demanded by ASEAN, Min Aung Hlaing continues to pursue diplomatic dialogue, hoping that through visits and bilateral meetings he can regain credibility and access to regional forums.
Goal: Normalizing Relations with ASEAN
The visit to Vietnam, therefore, is not merely a gesture of goodwill but an integral part of a broader campaign to reintegrate into regional and international structures.