By Maung Dagon/MPA

Junta chief Senior General Min Aung Hlaing’s visit to Russia has lacked the high-level welcome given to former President U Htin Kyaw, according to the reports.

Upon arriving at Moscow’s Vnukovo International Airport on Monday, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing did not receive a red carpet welcome. Instead, he was greeted by a Russian minister leading a small welcoming delegation.

Despite junta-controlled media claiming the visit was at a state level, reports indicate that Min Aung Hlaing was not honored with Russia’s traditional “Bread and Salt” ceremony.

A Yangon-based youth studying European culture explained, “Bread symbolizes unity, gratitude, and hospitality, while ‘salt’ represents loyalty, strong relations, and coexistence. It is a ceremonial welcome in Russia and some European countries, usually reserved for state-level leaders.”

By contrast, when Myanmar’s former elected President U Htin Kyaw attended the Russia-ASEAN Summit in Sochi in 2016, he received the ‘Bread and Salt’ reception.

Although Min Aung Hlaing’s visit was reportedly at the invitation of Russian President Vladimir Putin, he was only welcomed by a delegation led by Russia’s Economic Minister and a small military band.

A Myanmar military officer remarked, “Junta propagandists are celebrating this, but in reality, it’s quite embarrassing. He wasn’t even given a red carpet. Is he really the legitimate leader of Myanmar’s military?”

At the airport, Min Aung Hlaing was received by Russia’s Minister of Economic Development, Maxim Reshetnikov, and a deputy foreign minister.

Despite the subdued welcome, junta-controlled media portrayed the reception as a state-level event.
A local political analyst commented, “No matter how much they spin it, this is the kind of reception given to a minor figure.”

Junta supporters have framed this trip—Min Aung Hlaing’s fourth visit to Russia since the 2021 coup—as a diplomatic success.

During his stay, he visited a Theravāda Buddhist center in Moscow, which he had previously funded.

Min Aung Hlaing currently faces an international arrest warrant issued by an Argentine court for his role in the Rohingya genocide. Similarly, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who invited him, is also under an international arrest warrant.

Junta-controlled media claim the visit was arranged at Putin’s invitation to discuss Russian investment in Myanmar’s Dawei Special Economic Zone.

However, independent news sources report that the meeting will focus primarily on economic cooperation rather than military matters.