Min Aung Hlaing Arrives in Bangkok for BIMSTEC Summit
Myanmar's military leader to attend regional meeting
General Senior Min Aung Hlaing, leader of Myanmar's military government, arrived in Bangkok on Thursday to attend the BIMSTEC leaders' summit, scheduled for Friday (4th April).
His visit follows several days of media speculation. The BIMSTEC summit will bring together leaders from seven nations.
Reuters news agency has highlighted the unusual nature of the visit, noting that many countries have cut diplomatic ties with Min Aung Hlaing. He is also subject to Western sanctions and faces investigation by the International Criminal Court.
Since the Myanmar coup, Thailand is the third country, after Russia and China, to host Myanmar's military leader.
The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) is a regional bloc connecting South and Southeast Asia.
Established in 1997, its member nations – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Thailand – focus on trade, investment, connectivity, security, and cultural exchange.
The BIMSTEC Summit 2025 is taking place in Bangkok from April 2nd to 4th, 2025. As BIMSTEC chair, Thailand aims to promote prosperity, resilience, and openness for the region’s 1.7 billion people.
This sixth BIMSTEC Summit is the first in-person meeting of BIMSTEC leaders since 2018 and the first summit hosted by Thailand in 20 years.
Key outcomes are expected to include the adoption of the BIMSTEC Bangkok Vision 2030, a strategic plan for economic cooperation, environmental sustainability, and regional security, and the BIMSTEC Summit Declaration.
Leaders will also review the Report of the Eminent Persons’ Group on the Future Direction of BIMSTEC. This report assesses BIMSTEC’s progress across its seven sectors of cooperation and its alignment with the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. It also proposes a strategic roadmap for BIMSTEC's future, with recommendations for delivering tangible benefits to BIMSTEC citizens by 2027, marking the organisation’s 30th anniversary.
