<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">The leader of&nbsp; Myanmar’s ruling genareals will travel to Russia next week for economic talks as both goverments face diplomatic isolation over militaristic moves.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Senior General Min Aung Hlaing will attend the Eastern Economic Forum in the far-eastern city of Vladivostok, the Global New Light of Myanmar newspaper reported on Saturday.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Representatives from China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan and other countries will also attend.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The general will hold talks with Russian government officials to “further cement the cooperation” and “friendly ties” between the two countries’ economies and governments, the news report said.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since the coup that removed Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government in February last year, Myanmar has faced Western sanctions and a downgrade in relations.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Min Aung Hlaing is unlikely to be invited to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) leaders’ summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, in November with the bloc frustrated over a lack of progress on resolving the country’s political crisis.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><br></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Myanmar has been in chaos and its economy paralysed as the military regime struggles to crush resistance. More than 2,200 people have been killed in the crackdown.</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Russia, meanwhile, is under a variety of international sanctions after its February invasion of Ukraine.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Since then, Myanmar’s ruling generals have sought to deepen ties with major ally and arms supplier Moscow, which the military has said was “justified”.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Min Aung Hlaing undertook a “private visit” to Moscow in July, where he reportedly met officials from Russia’s space agency Roscosmos and nuclear agencies, while second in command Soe Win also visited late last month.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">During a trip to Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw in early August, Russia’s foreign minister Sergey Lavrov backed the military’s efforts to “stabilise” the country and hold a national poll next year<span style="font-size: 1rem;">: Source Alzazeera</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">bnbd24/kh</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div>