Russia's President Vladimir Putin hailed expanding ties with ally Myanmar at talks with its military junta chief on Tuesday and thanked him for gifting Moscow six elephants.

Russia and Myanmar signed an agreement on Tuesday on construction of a small-scale nuclear plant in Myanmar after talks in Moscow between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Myanmar junta chief Min Aung Hlaing.

A visit to Russia by General Min Aung Hlaing aimed to enhance Moscow’s influence in Southeast Asia underscored the junta’s need for diplomatic recognition.

Myanmar's leader and military chief Min Aung Hlaing was greeted in Moscow on Tuesday by one of President Vladimir Putin's top security officials. Sergei Shoigu, the secretary of Russia's Security Council,

Myanmar’s long-promised general elections will take place in December or January next year at the earliest, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing said at a state-level meeting in Minsk, the latest effort by the military government to retain power and earn legitimacy.

Mr Putin hailed the steadily developing ties and “substantive and constructive” talks with General Hlaing, adding that Moscow and Naypidaw were “bound by truly strong bonds of friendship, traditions of support, and mutual assistance,” according to a statement from his office.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was holding talks on Tuesday with the head of Myanmar’s military government, who is seeking to cement co-operation with Moscow as he faces isolation and sanctions from the West. General Min Aung Hlaing is making his ...

Min Aung Hlaing, who is in Russia, also met the country’s defense minister, who vowed to implement all agreements with Myanmar reached at the highest level.

Russian President Vladimir Putin is holding talks with the head of Myanmar’s military government, who is seeking to cement ties with Moscow as he faces isolation from the West.