Myanmar President Aung Hlaing has started his visit to India

Mr Aung Hlaing’s visit to India comes less than two months after he became president following parliamentary elections in Myanmar. Photo: X/@MEEAIndia

Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing on Saturday (May 30, 2026) began a five-day visit to India that will focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation in trade, connectivity, border security and defence.

Mr. Aung Hlaing began his journey by landing in Gaya to visit the Mahabodhi Temple, before his arrival in Delhi this evening.

“We warmly welcome President U Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar on his arrival in Bodh Gaya,” Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on social media.

“His visit reflects the strong spiritual, historical and people-to-people ties that unite our two countries and the depth of our ongoing cooperation,” he added.

The Myanmar President was received at the airport by Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd).

Mr Aung Hlaing’s visit to India comes less than two months after he became president following parliamentary elections in Myanmar.

VIDEO | Bodh Gaya, Bihar: Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing arrives at the Maha Bodhi Temple to pray.#BodhGaya

(Full video available on PTI Videos – https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/cNHBsLk1d4

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) May 30, 2026

The elections were held in December and January after years of protests against the ruling military junta, which seized power in a coup on February 1, 2021, toppling the democratically elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

Minister of External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh represented India at the inauguration of Mr. Aung Hlaing as President last month. For the past five years, he effectively ran Myanmar and ran a military government.

Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbors and shares a 1,640 km border with a number of northeastern states, including Nagaland and militancy-hit Manipur.

The Myanmar leader is accompanied by a high-level delegation consisting of several government ministers, senior officials and businessmen.

Mr Aung Hlaing was earlier scheduled to visit New Delhi to attend the International Big Cat Alliance summit on June 1, which was postponed.

“President U Min Aung Hlaing will hold talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 1 to further strengthen historical and civilizational ties between the two countries. He will also attend a business forum,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

The Myanmar president will also travel to Mumbai on June 2 for business and industry interactions and site visits.

Speaking at his weekly media briefing on Friday (May 29, 2026), Mr Jaiswal said issues related to border security and connectivity would be discussed during the Myanmar leader’s trip to India.

“On border security, connectivity and other issues, all matters that form part of the gamut of India-Myanmar relations will come up for discussion. Our idea is to take our friendly, civilizational ties forward,” he said.

Mr Jaiswal said Myanmar lies at the “confluence” of India’s Neighborhood First, Act East and MAHASAGAR policies.

People familiar with the Myanmar leader’s visit said ways to expand defense and trade ties would be a major focus of talks between the two sides.

During his visit to Mauritius in March last year, PM Modi announced the vision of MAHASAGAR or “Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions” for India’s engagement with the Global South.

Published – 30 May 2026 11:24 IST