Myanmar Seeks EAEU Observer Status Amid Surge in Russian and Belarussian Economic Ties

Myanmar's military-led State Administration Council (SAC) has actively pursued closer integration with the Russia-led Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), aiming to deepen regional trade ties. At the 4th Eurasian Economic Forum in Minsk on June 26, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing formally requested Myanmar’s admission as an EAEU observer state, highlighting ambitions to boost cooperation in sectors such as energy, transportation, agriculture, and education. This builds on Myanmar’s engagement since 2022, including Memoranda of Understanding signed at prior Saint Petersburg Economic Forums and follow-up working-group meetings in both Nay Pyi Taw and Saint Petersburg. This was emphasized as a strategy to reduce dependency on U.S. dollars.
This is on top of several economic agreements sealed between Myanmar and Russia in late June and early July. On June 20, in St. Petersburg, the SAC Investment Minister Dr. Kan Zaw and Russia’s Economic Development Minister Maxim Reshetnikov signed a comprehensive investment pact to develop offshore oil and gas fields and support projects in the Dawei Special Economic Zone. An investment promotion and protection agreement encompassing legal guarantees for Russian investors was also signed. Concurrently, the SAC Transport Minister, General Mya Tun Oo, led a delegation to the 28th SPIEF (June 18–21) in Moscow, advocating for Myanmar ports and railways to serve as a transshipment gateway for Russian exports. These efforts reflect a broader push by Myanmar’s regime to build strategic economic alignment with Russia and the EAEU.