State Administration Council Chairman Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and Head of the Republic of Buryatia Mr Aleksey Sambuyevich Tsydenov replied to questions raised by local media including Arigus, ATV and Tivicom. The full text of translated interview is as follows: –
Q: In recent years, many collaborative projects have been carried out between Russia and Myanmar. In particular, cooperation has taken place not only in the cultural sector but also across various fields. Among these, there have also been cooperative efforts involving Buryatia. Looking ahead, what areas of cooperation are planned between Buryatia and Myanmar?
The Senior General: Today, I visited a railway factory, and earlier I also visited an aircraft manufacturing plant. These are promising areas for cooperation between our two sides. Furthermore, in Buryatia, there are many people who practise Buddhism, and since Myanmar is also a Buddhist country, there is potential for collaboration in the area of Buddhism as well. There are also opportunities related to healthcare. Moreover, there has been an offer from the Prime Minister regarding learning education. So, we have a plan to cooperate in education. We may also move forward with discussions and activities related to agriculture. There are many areas to work on — what I want to emphasize is that there are numerous potential sectors for collaboration.
Q: Now that you are currently visiting Buryatia, as the His Excellency Prime Minister, how do you view Buryatia? What are your impressions regarding the beauty and cleanliness of Buryatia?
The Senior General: I feel extremely at peace being here. It’s such a pleasant and beautiful region. I feel like I’ve come to an environment that is familiar and close to Myanmar. This is actually my third visit, and every time I come, I feel a sense of familiarity, as if I’m visiting my own region. I would also like to say that I will try to come again in the future.
Q: As the Head of the Republic of Buryatia, how do you feel about the visit of the Prime Minister of Myanmar on this goodwill trip? And could you please share your thoughts regarding cooperation with Myanmar?
The Head of the Republic of Buryatia: Knowing that this is the Prime Minister’s third visit from Myanmar, I feel deeply honoured and pleased. His three times of visit show a clear reflection of how much he values and appreciates our region. I also hope that we will be able to implement many cooperative projects between our republic and Myanmar. In recent years, for example, our Rapid Bio pharmaceutical company has been working on registering and exporting medical products and technologies to Myanmar. Moreover, the helicopters produced at Ulan-Ude plant have been used in Myanmar for many years. They are still in use today, and we are planning further cooperation in the future, particularly in areas related to transportation and helicopter services. Today, representatives from TMH Holding also presented their products and explained the items they produce. Looking to the future, there are also plans to discuss and pursue cooperation with Myanmar in this area. Regarding educational cooperation, we are planning to offer advanced training programmes for Myanmar teachers who teach the Russian language. These programmes could be held here in Buryatia. In addition, at one of our universities in Buryatia, we are working towards establishing a Myanmar language department to offer Myanmar language courses. Today, I personally accompanied and arranged the visit of our special guests from Myanmar around the lake. Back in December of last year, I myself led a delegation to Myanmar. During that visit, we were warmly welcomed by the people of Myanmar. What I want to express is that not only I, but all members of our delegation were deeply impressed by the beauty and cultural richness of Myanmar. That is why we are planning to further enhance the tourism sector between our two countries through mutual exchanges.
The Senior General: I would like to invite your media teams to visit Myanmar to explore and learn more. While your regional leader has already provided a general overview of the situation in Myanmar, when you come in person, I believe you’ll gain a deeper and more meaningful experience. I truly believe that before long, we will be seeing your faces in Myanmar.

Source: GNLM

The 80th Anniversary of the Victory in the Great Patriotic War was celebrated only in Russia. In reality, this patriotic war is not something that concerns only Russia. In the past, the world faced extreme ideologies like fascism and Nazism. This war was about resisting and fighting against those isms. With regard to resisting fascism and Nazism, you all know it’s something we in Myanmar also experienced. We suffered under the brutal consequences of fascist rule. The people of Myanmar were also oppressed. Likewise, many neighbouring countries suffered from the impacts of fascism too. For example, if you want to understand the horrors of fascism in Myanmar, there is a novel called Ngba. Read it. This is based on true events written with reference to real incidents and historical context. Likewise, even in our neighbouring country, China, there have been massacres like the Nanning Massacre. Similarly, in Eastern Europe, Russia was one of the countries that fought against the Nazi regime with great emphasis. Around 26 million of their people lost their lives. Even by today’s population standards, that number — 26 million — is a huge loss of life. That’s why they celebrate it as a victory. That was history from the past. Looking at present-day history, what we often talk about now is the rise of neocolonialism. In modern times, there is economic domination. Major powers constantly have the desire to dominate smaller nations. We need to unite and resist these things. I want to say that we must join forces and stand against them.
In this regard, the Myanmar Tatmadaw also participated in this 80th anniversary ceremony for the first time. We organized events, held military parades, and participated in commemorative marches. Through this, the Myanmar Tatmadaw has demonstrated that, in line with international armed forces, we are a military capable of standing shoulder to shoulder with others. First, it shows that the Myanmar Tatmadaw are a competent and capable force on par with international standards. Second, it clearly proves that our Tatmadaw can perform tasks at the same level as other international militaries. In our country, it has long been said that “a strong Tatmadaw makes a strong nation.” Some people, who wish to diminish the role of the Tatmadaw, have spoken against this idea. But look at the present era — for a country to have firm sovereignty and to uphold its national dignity and prestige, a strong defence capability is essential. A strong Tatmadaw is necessary. To firmly uphold our sovereignty, we must have a respectable and capable defence force. This is something that all citizens across the nation must understand, recognize, and take pride in. We must strive to realize these goals. And I want to say that we have had the opportunity to do so.
When meeting with the President of China, I wanted to express just three key points on behalf of Myanmar. First, China stands firmly and supportively with Myanmar as a good neighbour when it comes to Myanmar’s sovereignty and national development. Second, regarding Myanmar’s internal peace process, China continues to uphold and practise its policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of other countries. Moreover, both our countries adhere to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, which promote living together peacefully and respectfully. Since China is a neighbouring country and also serves as a western gateway for Myanmar, it views Myanmar’s internal peace process from a positive perspective. It hopes for a peaceful outcome and is actively supporting efforts toward achieving peace in Myanmar. We have received assurances that China will continue to support these efforts going forward.
Third, it is about our election. Regarding the election, the Prime Minister has already spoken about Myanmar’s multiparty democratic general election, saying that it will be held at the end of this year. From China’s side, we have seen support in relations to the preparations for the election. What I want to share as good news is that the multiparty democratic general election, which the people of Myanmar have long yearned for, will be held. The multiparty democratic system is something we have had thanks to the efforts of the Tatmadaw since the past. Due to election fraud, the Tatmadaw assumed state responsibility. Now, I would like to share the good news that we will continue to implement the multiparty democratic system that the people of Myanmar desire. The first main point I want to talk about is the political parties. In the area of political parties, there is a need to make preparations in advance. Then, it is necessary to educate and inform the public. I want to say clearly that, from my point of view, this is the number one priority we must continue to work on. The second point is about the public. Regarding the public’s role, we have already stated that we want a multiparty democratic election system. If we truly want a multiparty democracy, then holding peaceful and fair elections is a fundamental requirement. In order to conduct these elections peacefully, I urge the entire public to cooperate and support the process. I also want to clearly say that we must firmly stand against terrorism, which is the opposite of democracy.
As for the relationship between Russia and Myanmar, it has been long-standing. It is a strong and stable relationship. The initial relationship started with military-to-military cooperation. It began during the time of the previous Tatmadaw government, under the State Peace and Development Council and continued under the State Administration Council. At present, the relationship between Russia and Myanmar has developed not only in the Tatmadaw sphere but also in various other sectors. It is continuing to grow. So, when we arrive in Russia — or when we are in Russia — we can see this clearly. I’m not just talking about government-to-government or military-to-military ties. I mean people-to-people relations as well. The perception of the Myanmar people toward the Russian people, and vice versa, has improved and become stronger. I believe this is something we both desire, and I feel proud of it. During the Prime Minister’s visit to Russia, it coincided with Russia’s 80th anniversary of the Great Patriotic Victory. Many national leaders attended that event. While many leaders were present, our Prime Minister, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, had the opportunity to meet and speak with them. Through these meetings, he was able to help them better understand the situation in Myanmar. He was able to share the true events happening in Myanmar. To put it simply, he succeeded in making the international community understand Myanmar more clearly.

Source: The Global New Light of Myanmar

AT the invitation of the People’s Republic of China, Chairman of the State Administration Council Prime Minister Senior General Min Aung Hlaing will soon pay an official visit to the People’s Republic of China. During the visit, the Senior General will attend the Eighth Greater Mekong Subregion Economic Cooperation Programme (GMS) Summit, the 10th Ayeyawady-Chao Phraya-Mekong Economic Cooperation Strategy (ACMECS) Summit, and the 11th Cambodia-Lao PDR-Myanmar-Vietnam (CLMV) Summit to be held in Kunming, the People’s Republic of China, on 6 and 7 November. Moreover, the Senior General will hold talks with officials of the government of the People’s Republic of China to focus on friendly relations between the government and the people of both countries and the promotion of cooperation in economic and other sectors.

TRAVEL agencies are ready to provide the best climbing tours to ice-capped mountains this dry season, according to Puta-O Travel Agency. Visitors can get to Puta-O from Yangon by a three-hour flight, and travel agencies in Myitkyina and Puta-O townships arrange tours to Kaunghmulon Pagoda, Mid-water Natkyun Pagoda and rocky plaque in the Malikha River, traditional culture and local food of ethnic people, Myoma morning market and Garhtu market. “The tours being in open season. Although there are no visitors to Indawgyi Lake due to certain regional conditions, the trips to Myitkyina and Puta-O snowdraped mountains start. Four travel agencies in Puta-O arrange glacier-topped mountain trips. Travel agencies arrange a 10-day trip to Mount Phonkanrazi for beginners and a 12-day trip to Mount Phonyinrazi. Moreover, they prepare dry rations and gather luggage carriers and guides for trips in advance. People can enjoy the beauty and experience of scaling snowcapped mountains from November to April.

The Myanmar rowing team achieved a remarkable haul of six gold medals and three silver medals.

RICHER countries must put more money on the table to support the world’s developing and emerging market economies tackle climate and development challenges, or risk undoing recent progress, the G24 group of nations said Tuesday. “The global community is falling short of attaining climate and development goals, and in providing the commensurate financial support to developing countries towards achieving them,” the G24 group announced in a statement.

The G24, which includes a wide range of emerging market and developing economies including Argentina, Ghana, Nigeria, and the Philippines, met at the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank in Washington this week. — AFPport. — Xinhua

WHILE retaining its second place in garment exports to the European Union (EU) market, Bangladesh saw the apparel shipments dropped 3.53 percent from January to August to US$12.90 billion due in large part to domestic political turmoil and labour unrest, local media report said Wednesday, citing Eurostat data. High inflationary pressures on the European economy also had an impact, The Daily Star newspaper reported.

Bangladesh’s garment exporters have been mired in crises in past months, with political and economic uncertainty as well as incidents of arson and extortion casting a shadow over normal business operations, according to the report.

The situation was exacerbated by spells of labour unrest in industrial belts of the South Asian country since September, which led to production losses worth $400 million, showed data from the Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association.

The impact from months of turmoil on business operations included work order cancellations and postponement of factory visits by representatives of international clothing retailers and brands, according to the report. — Xinhua

YANGON Region Gold Entrepreneurs Association (YGEA) alerted gold shops in Yangon Region to enhance security measures on 22 October 2024. The warning includes the installation of CCTV at the gold shops, home vicinity, and car parking, as well as the installation of alarm bells, GPS, and front and cabin dashcams for comprehensive in-vehicle surveillance for vehicles that will transport gold and cash. YGEA also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the gold shops in protecting against robbery. YGEA issued warnings after the six armed robbers stole three boxes loaded with five visses of golden route to home from a gold shop in Hlaing Township on 21 October. — NN/KK