Ivan Polyakov, Chairman of the
Russia-ASEAN Business Council, held a working meeting with a Myanmar government delegation, including Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Transport and Communications, General Mya Tun Oo, Minister of Investment and Foreign Economic Relations Kan Zaw, Minister of Industry Charlie Than, Minister of Hotels and Tourism Thet Thet Khine and Central Bank Governor Than Than Swe.

During the meeting, Ivan Polyakov put forward the idea of creating a Russia-Myanmar Strategic Economic Planning Group, which could work out long-term (20 years or more) plans for the integrated development of such sectors as energy, agriculture, infrastructure, ecology, education, health care and information and communication technologies in Myanmar.

According to the Chairman of the ASEAN-Russia Business Council, the most appropriate way to defend the consolidated interests of Russia and Myanmar in the economic sphere is to strengthen work with international partners and jointly build a new trade, payment and investment infrastructure.

Separately, the issues of creating a system of payments in national currencies were discussed with the Head of the Central Bank of Myanmar Than Than Swe.

According to Ivan Polyakov, it is difficult to overestimate the importance of having an independent system of payments in national currencies in today’s turbulent world, as well as the ability to smoothly service trade transactions both between Russia and Myanmar and between Russia and ASEAN.

He noted that the emergence of such a system has the potential to increase mutual trade and ensure its progressive growth by at least 50 per cent per year.

Photo: Russia-ASEAN Business Council