Myanmar asks Vietnam to expand investment, including in telecommunications

Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing has asked Vietnam to expand investment in Myanmar, naming telecommunications, digital transformation, high-tech agriculture, irrigation, aquaculture, food processing and infrastructure among the priority areas.

Min made the request during a meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Le Minh Hung at the Government Office on September 5. He said Myanmar wanted to learn from Vietnam’s experience in socioeconomic development and believed conditions were favorable for the bilateral relationship to enter a new phase. He also thanked Vietnam for its support of Myanmar’s development, nation-building and international integration.

The two leaders agreed to build political trust, increase high-level and other contacts, and resume important cooperation mechanisms. These include a joint subcommittee on trade cooperation, a security dialogue and a working group on bilateral defense cooperation. They also agreed to make defense and security a pillar of bilateral ties, with continued coordination against cross-border crime, cybercrime, online fraud and drug offenses.

On economic relations, the leaders said the two countries had substantial untapped and complementary potential. They supported measures to increase bilateral trade and review and update trade, investment and customs agreements. Hung welcomed business forums as a way to connect companies and find investment opportunities, and asked Myanmar to help Vietnamese businesses overcome difficulties there. Vietnam, in turn, said it was ready to encourage investment in sectors Myanmar currently prioritizes.

The two sides also backed broader cooperation in infrastructure, air transport and tourism. They agreed to work toward restoring direct flights between Vietnam and Myanmar, develop joint tourism products including spiritual and medical tourism, and expand links between destinations and countries in the Greater Mekong Subregion.