Head of Myanmar’s military-backed government visits Vietnam in bid to normalize ties

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BANGKOK (AP) — The leader of Myanmar’s military-backed government arrived Friday in Vietnam for talks with Vietnamese leaders in his latest effort to normalize relations with other Southeast Asian countries and attract foreign investment.

Min Aung Hlaing has stepped up his diplomatic engagements since he was sworn in as president in April following an election that critics say was designed to cement the military’s hold on power.

The outreach is part of an attempt to rebuild regional ties that deteriorated after Min Aung Hlaing ousted Aung San Suu Kyi’s government in February 2021 while serving as army chief.

Friday’s trip marks Min Aung Hlaing’s third visit to an Association of Southeast Asian Nations member state as he seeks to restore his standing within the 11-member bloc, to which Myanmar and Vietnam belong.

Min Aung Hlaing faced years of diplomatic isolation following his 2021 takeover and was barred from top-level ASEAN meetings for failing to comply with a peace plan for Myanmar adopted by the bloc in April 2021.

He has traveled to India, China, Laos, Thailand and most recently Kazakhstan, Belarus and Russia, where he met with leaders and sought to attract foreign investment through business forums.

State-run MRTV television said Min Aung Hlaing landed at Noi Bai International Airport in Vietnam’s capital, Hanoi, at noon.

He is expected to meet during his three-day visit with Vietnamese President To Lam and other senior officials and attend a business forum with members of his Cabinet.

Vietnam has maintained longstanding military ties with Myanmar, including defense cooperation and the involvement of Viettel, Vietnam’s military-run telecommunications group, in Mytel, one of Myanmar’s major telecom operators.

Economic ties, however, have weakened, with bilateral trade falling from $853 million in 2020 to $590 million in 2025 and $335 million in the first half of 2026, figures Min Aung Hlaing shared with Vietnam’s Foreign Minister Le Hoai Trung when they met in Myanmar in late August, according to Vietnam’s foreign ministry.

Western governments have shunned and sanctioned Min Aung Hlaing and his associates for overthrowing Suu Kyi’s government and for serious human rights violations committed since. The military's deadly crackdown on protests helped trigger a nationwide armed resistance movement and a bloody civil war.