Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing in Russia on diplomatic blitz; due to meet Putin

Myanmar leader Min Aung Hlaing is stepping up a diplomatic blitz abroad, seeking to expand his administration’s international ties and bolster its legitimacy. He is due to meet Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow on Tuesday (Aug 18) and attend a business forum, with economic cooperation expected to feature on the agenda. Russia is his latest stop in a series of overseas visits that have also taken him to India, China, Laos and Thailand since assuming a civilian government role in April. Hunter Marston, director of the Southeast Asia Program at Sydney-based think tank the Lowy Institute, discusses on CNA’s Asia Now what Min Aung Hlaing hopes to gain from closer ties with Moscow, from defence and energy cooperation to broadening Myanmar’s diplomatic network and reducing its reliance on China. Subscribe to our channel here: https://cna.asia/youtubesub Visit our website: https://cna.asia Download our app: https://cna.asia/app Get our editors' picks of stories via chat apps: Telegram: https://cna.asia/telegram WhatsApp: https://cna.asia/whatsapp Follow us on these platforms: https://www.facebook.com/channelnewsasia https://www.instagram.com/channelnewsasia https://www.tiktok.com/@channelnewsasia