Russian Deputy Defense Minister Fomin holds talks with commander-in-chief of Myanmar's Armed Forces
MOSCOW. March 26 (Interfax) - Russia and Myanmar intend to deepen their military and military-technical cooperation, the Russian Defense Ministry said on Friday after Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin had talks with Myanmar's military command.
Fomin has held talks with Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar's Armed Forces Min Aung Hlaing.
"The Russian Federation is committed to a strategy aimed at bolstering relations between the two countries," the Defense Ministry quoted Fomin as saying.
"During the talks, the parties positively assessed their rapidly developing mutually beneficial relations in the military sphere and reaffirmed their intention to make the most of the existing potential in order to deepen military and military-technical cooperation in the spirit of strategic partnership," the ministry said following Fomin's talks with the commander-in-chief.
"Myanmar is a reliable ally and strategic partner to the Russian Federation in Southeast Asia and the Asia-Pacific region," the ministry quoted Fomin as saying.
Fomin coordinates the Russian Defense Ministry's international military cooperation.
A Russian delegation is paying a return visit to Myanmar following a visit by the country's Armed Forces commander-in-chief to Russia in 2020 to attend the Victory Parade in Moscow, the ministry said.
"Esteemed senior general, last year you attended our parade, our anniversary parade dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. And this visit of ours comes in response to yours. In these events, we are united by the fight of our peoples against Hitler's fascism and Japanese militarism," the ministry quoted Fomin as saying.
As Interfax reported earlier, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu visited Myanmar in January of this year.
A military coup took place in Myanmar in February 1, 2021. As a result, power in the country was transferred to Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Min Aung Hlaing, and the United States and the United Kingdom imposed sanctions on all institutions in Myanmar involved in the military coup.