Sat Nov 29 04:32:55 UTC 2025: ## Lukashenko Visits Myanmar, Lending Support to Military Junta Ahead of “Sham” Elections
Naypyidaw, Myanmar – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko concluded a visit to Myanmar on Friday, signaling support for the military government just weeks before national elections widely condemned as a sham. The visit, only the second by a foreign leader since the 2021 coup, saw Lukashenko meet with Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, the de facto leader of Myanmar, at the Presidential Palace.
Myanmar state media hailed the visit as a “historic occasion” demonstrating Belarus’s goodwill and trust, marking the first visit by a Belarusian head of state in 26 years of diplomatic relations. Following the meeting, Belarusian officials confirmed plans to send an observation team to monitor the upcoming elections, scheduled for late December.
Critics view Lukashenko’s visit as a tacit endorsement of the polls, which are being organized by the military junta despite widespread instability and ongoing civil war. The military government dissolved Aung San Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy (NLD) in March 2023. Critics also point to the lack of control the military has over the region. Recent estimates place the military’s control as low as 21 percent of the country’s territory.
The two leaders also agreed to strengthen collaboration in military technologies and trade, building on the newly signed Myanmar-Belarus Development Cooperation Roadmap 2026–2028. Belarus has expressed interest in providing Myanmar with machinery and equipment for its agricultural sector.
Lukashenko’s visit comes as Myanmar remains embroiled in a protracted conflict following the 2021 coup, which ousted the democratically elected government. Large portions of the country are controlled by ethnic armed groups and the anti-regime People’s Defence Force, who have pledged to boycott and disrupt the upcoming elections.
On Thursday, ahead of the polls, the military government announced a mass amnesty, pardoning or dropping charges against 8,665 people imprisoned for opposing army governance.
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