ACTING President and State Security and Peace Commission Chairman Senior General Min Aung Hlaing of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar paid official working visits to the Russia Federation at the invitation of Mr Vladimir Putin, President of the Russian Federation, and to the Republic of Kazakhstan at the invitation of Mr Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, President of the Republic of Ka­zakhstan, and he arrived back in Myanmar yesterday evening.

After the arrival, Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun, leader of the Na­tional Defence and Security Council Information Team, re­sponded to the media as follows: -

Q: What benefits has Myanmar gained from the Acting Presi­dent’s working visits to Rus­sia and Kazakhstan, and what kinds of cooperation are likely to result from his attendance at the World Atomic Week Forum during this trip?

A: I would like to talk about this trip in three parts. That is be­cause each of the three parts is important in its own way. The first one is Russia, the visit to Russia, and the visit to Kazakhstan. And on the way back, we also had a stopover in Kunming, China. These are the things I want to talk about. First of all, each of them is a bit different in nature. Because of these differences, I will explain them in three separate parts.

First of all, the World Atomic Week, organized by ROSATOM, was held in Russia. Regarding this, we attended the main forum. Then, we met with Russian Pres­ident Mr Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. The representatives from countries around the world also attended the World Atomic Fo­rum. During the participation, we discussed the peaceful use of nu­clear energy, ensuring that nucle­ar energy is utilized peacefully for the benefit of the people in every country. In those discussions, we also listened to the perspectives and views of the attending coun­tries. The Acting President of the Republic of the Union of Myan­mar also delivered an address at the event. He delivered a speech presenting Myanmar’s attitude. In summary, Myanmar’s stance is that the use of nuclear energy is intended for the country’s energy such as to secure a supply of sta­ble electricity and to support pro­gress in medical and agricultural research. For this, agreements were also signed with ROSATOM, Russia’s nuclear energy agency. Moreover, there was a meeting with the President of Russia, Mr Vladimir Putin. When meeting with Mr Vladimir Putin, we dis­cussed that Russia has always regarded Myanmar as one of the most reliable partner countries in Southeast Asia. On Myanmar’s part, the country recognized Rus­sia as a strategic partner, with a commitment to further strength­en relations. The discussions also covered technology exchanges, including cooperation in space technology, nuclear energy tech­nology, and other areas of techno­logical exchange that would bring direct benefits to the people. The second part is the visit to Kazakh­stan. Regarding this trip, it was the first time a Myanmar Leader visited Kazakhstan. Kazakhstan is quite a unique country. It is a landlocked nation located in the central part of Asia, as it sits at the junction of Asia and Eu­rope. Being in the heart of Asia, as you may have heard, like the geopolitical theories, there will be Heartland, Greenland and the central regions of the world, and we should know these signif­icant roles of these areas. This is the central part of the world — Asia — Europe. Being the middle part of the world’s land­scape, the major road transport and transportation networks pass through it. The country itself has been making significant progress, with high standards in education and healthcare. The President of Kazakhstan person­ally explained the sectors where Myanmar could collaborate with them. They also shared the op­portunities within their country, potential investment prospects, and areas for joint development with Myanmar. Future cooper­ation will include technological collaboration, particularly in IT and other related sectors.

The special aspect of this visit is that Myanmar’s Acting President was the first Head of State to visit Kazakhstan, which brought great satisfaction and pleasure to the President of Ka­zakhstan. Besides, at the end of the meeting, when the Acting President Senior General Min Aung Hlaing returned, the Pres­ident made a farewell in the car. These interactions reflected a friendly relationship, showing that Myanmar has gained a good partner country.

On the return trip, we visited Kunming. Upon arriving in Kun­ming, we met the standing mem­ber of the Communist Party of Yunnan Province, the secretary of the legal affairs commission, and Mr Deng Xijun, Special Envoy for Southeast Asian Affairs of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Dur­ing this meeting, four key points were discussed.

The most important point is that during the discussions, Myanmar and China are close friends and neighbouring coun­tries, like Swe Myo Pauk Phaw, built on mutual trust. Both sides will enhance communication and cooperation. And, the Chinese will work with the Myanmar govern­ment to ensure peace and stabil­ity in the border areas between the two countries. The next point concerns promoting trade and economic cooperation. The next point is the China–Myanmar Eco­nomic Corridor, both countries confirmed to quickly implement the agreed-upon projects and plans within the corridor. Moreo­ver, China will continue to support Myanmar’s peace process and make ongoing efforts to assist. I want all to know that we will make further efforts continuous­ly. Therefore, to summarize all these visits, they have opened up new opportunities for Myanmar, including new prospects arising from our close relations with our neighbour, China. In order to grab these opportunities, there are two important things I often say. First, we must remain united. Second, we must think and plan in line with the times. We need to be aware of what is happening in the world today, what is happening internationally, and what is hap­pening here in Myanmar. Only by analyzing the truth can we develop the right ideas and take the right actions for the progress of our country, the improvement of our people’s lives, and the ad­vancement of our socioeconomic situation.

Q: In the current trip, there was a discussion about nuclear en­ergy. In the future, how could Myanmar make use of this nu­clear technology? Moreover, I have heard that there are plans to build a small nuclear power plant to develop the country’s electricity generation. When is it expected to start?

A: Regarding this, we have al­ready signed an agreement. It has been an MoU since last year, and we have also signed addition­al agreements afterwards. The main point is that we are contin­uing to select the secure site for power plant so that we can be the first to utilize nuclear energy. As you can see in Yangon now, while we were holding the World Atomic Week Forum there, we were also doing similar activities in Yangon. What I want to empha­size about nuclear energy is that it is a safe form of energy. Nuclear energy can provide a stable and reliable source of electricity.

For Myanmar to develop, everyone already knows how much electricity the country needs. It is crucial to have a sta­ble source of electricity wherever power is required. For example, electricity can come from solar, wind, hydro, natural gas, or other power plants. Whatever it may be, a country’s electricity supply must come from a combination of different energy sources. For instance, solar power is not avail­able at night, and wind power is not reliable when the wind is weak. At such times, all the ener­gy resources available across the country must be used together so that one source can compensate for another to meet the demand. This type of energy may require a significant initial investment. However, in the long run, it can provide stable electricity and sup­port development. This relates to the electricity sector. The second part is Myanmar’s engagement with nuclear energy. Because nu­clear energy allows us to carry out research in areas like medi­cine and other scientific studies, I want to emphasize that it is an important energy source for the country’s development. I want to notify this.

Q: As the Acting President of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar met and held discus­sions with both the President of Russia and the President of Kazakhstan during the trips, how are the future cooperation and investment prospects with these two countries?

A: There are promising prospects for greater cooperation and in­vestment between the two coun­tries. They have shown a great interest in inviting Myanmar and working together. In addition, during our return trip, when we passed through Kunming, we also heard the statements made by the Yunnan Provincial Government of China. What they expressed essentially reflects the position of the Central Government of China. This is also an encouraging and positive sign regarding Myanmar. To summarize all the trips, all three countries welcomed Myan­mar’s election. They have always supported the desire of the Myan­mar people to be able to lead to a multiparty democratic system. They also consistently support Myanmar’s development. Be­cause of this continued support, we will be able to successfully hold the upcoming multipar­ty democratic general election and move forward with our goal of establishing a disciplined and genuine multiparty democratic system. I want to encourage all our people to unite and cooperate in carrying this. Thank you all.