Belarus Bets on Asia: Myanmar Visit Advances Tractor Assembly and Food Exports

Having bet on diversification and multi-vector foreign policy, Belarus is today reaping the fruits of its far-sighted course, in which the Asian direction is an important vector. This is a capacious, promising and rapidly growing market with a population of more than 4.5 billion people. Being there means seeing the clear outlines of tomorrow.

Belarusian technologies and competencies are needed there, and mechanisms of interaction have been built not only in the trade and economic sphere. First and foremost, dialogue has been established at the highest political level, as well as at the level of interparliamentary cooperation. Leading players in the region, including China, are gradually moving away from currency settlements in favor of national ones — a step toward independence and partnership without looking over one’s shoulder at the West.

Such footholds with the prospect of entering the global market are becoming more numerous for Belarus. Vietnam, Indonesia, Myanmar — Belarusians are received where dialogue with others does not even begin.

These days Belarus is also receiving partners and good friends. A parliamentary delegation from Myanmar is on an official visit in Minsk.

Potential of cooperation between Belarus and Myanmar

Villages located right on the water, temples in caves, Buddha statues 120 meters high (like a 43-storey building), and predominantly Burmese, the language spoken by 90% of the population — Myanmar is a real curiosity for a Slavic person. However, despite external differences, at deeper levels the two countries share a wealth of common ground. Family values are valued there, young people are raised patriotically, and national interests are followed despite external obstacles.

Ivan Zaitsev, junior research fellow at the Center for the Indo-Ocean Region of IMEMO RAS:

“If we take the regions of East and Southeast Asia, this is one of the most rapidly developing economically today in a wide variety of areas. Here we are talking not only about agriculture or military-technical cooperation. It can also concern dual-use technologies, robotization and corresponding computer technologies.”

Today Myanmar occupies a strategic position in Southeast Asia and is open to dialogue; diversification is the basis of its foreign policy strategy. They are seeking cooperation in high-tech areas, including the creation of joint production facilities, and they need food. Belarus can and is ready to provide all of this.

Dialogue at the highest level: official visits of leaders

A new chapter in this story was opened in 2025 and received further development this summer after official visits at the highest level.

Alexander Lukashenko, President of Belarus:

“The guidelines for work have been defined and enshrined in the roadmap for the development of cooperation for 2026–2028. Its implementation will be facilitated by the opening of the embassies of the two countries this year. The task of the Belarusian diplomatic mission is formulated as specifically as possible — hand in hand with Myanmar’s state bodies to ensure the launch of joint projects in the spheres of industrial cooperation, agriculture, pharmaceuticals and others. In 2027 all these projects must move from the ‘paper’ phase to the stage of implementation ‘on the ground’. We have already done a great deal for this and thereby expanded our horizon of interaction. We will also resume both interparliamentary and interparty cooperation.”

The high level of political dialogue sets the bar for everything else. The legal benchmark until 2028 is the roadmap, which is primarily about adding to the economy.

Strengthening interparliamentary dialogue

A similar roadmap has appeared today in the interparliamentary dimension. Signatures were put to the Memorandum of Cooperation by Chair of the Council of the Republic Natalia Kochanova and Chair of the House of Nationalities of the Union Assembly Aung Lin Dwe.

An official visit by the Myanmar parliamentary delegation to Belarus is taking place these days. The last time parliamentarians from this Asian country were in the Belarusian state was 11 years ago. The current visit is the first for Aung Lin Dwe in the capacity of chair.

This meeting underscores the course toward promoting and deepening what the leaders agreed upon: the development of cultural and humanitarian ties, while the main focus remains the economy. Things did not go smoothly in 2025 — $16 million in trade turnover, whereas in 2024 the figure exceeded $30 million. At the same time, the beginning of the year is promising.

Where parliamentary assistance is needed was also discussed in the Council of the Republic.

Sergei Aleynik, Chair of the Standing Commission of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly of Belarus:

“Priorities have been defined: cooperation in the field of agriculture and food security, projects in industrial cooperation and supplies of our agricultural automotive equipment, cooperation in the sphere of pharmaceuticals and medicine, which is also developing successfully. The trade turnover figures that exist today for the first eight months of the current year indicate a steady growth dynamic. Our mutual trade turnover has increased by 74%, and I think this is not the limit. We will continue to move in this direction.”

Myanmar delegation visited Minsk Tractor Plant

Agriculture, pharmaceuticals, industry — these can give a good boost to Belarusian exports. And mechanical engineering today is one of the top points of interest for the Myanmar delegation.

Moreover, a number of cooperation projects are underway, in particular preparations are being made to launch assembly production of Belarusian MTZ tractors and MAZ automotive equipment in Myanmar. In Minsk the parliamentarians visited the production facilities and saw with their own eyes what Belarusians make with their hands.

Taras Murog, Director General of OJSC MTZ:

“A contract with Myanmar on the creation of assembly production has begun to be implemented. We are preparing to supply machine kits by the end of the year so as to assemble them there, directly train people, and first fill the domestic market with the prospect of exporting already directly from Myanmar.”

Belarusian goods are supplied to 117 countries of the world

Another niche where Belarusian competencies are acutely needed is food. Fifty million people need to be fed, and the population there is growing at an enviable rate. Taking into account the climate (and also the fact that part of the territory is covered by jungle), own reserves are developing poorly. Belarus is a player with a clear reputation. Today Belarusian products have already been tried in 117 countries.

Alexey Maslov, professor, Director of the Institute of Asian and African Countries of Lomonosov Moscow State University:

“Myanmar is a country that needs a large amount of food because of population growth. Therefore, supplies from Belarus of food products, primarily grain and flour products, will go right now as one of the most effective forms of interaction.”

Prospects for cooperation and freedom of dialogue

Myanmar is one of the footholds for Belarus in Southeast Asia. Its geographically advantageous position opens a number of preferences for Belarusians as well. For example, everything that we jointly produce in Myanmar is supplied to neighboring countries without any tariff barriers. That is how the free trade zone works.

Mutual benefit is clearly visible. The abolition of visas, including for holders of ordinary passports, undoubtedly adds to the freedom of dialogue.