What does the rapprochement between Belarus and Myanmar mean for business and security in the Eurasian space?

The catalyst was President Alexander Lukashenko's official visit to Naypyidaw and the signing of intergovernmental documents: a roadmap for 2026–2028, an agreement on mutual visa abolition and around 15 other agreements, as well as contracts and memorandums concluded during the business forum (contracts totaling about 9 million USD). This is detailed reports Capital Television and confirms Belarus.News.

What key agreements and practical steps did the parties agree during the visit?

Short answer: a mutual visa waiver, a 2026–2028 roadmap and a package of sectoral agreements covering industry, agriculture, pharmaceuticals, science and education — instruments for rapid mobilization of projects and personnel exchanges. These are the initial takeaways, as writes Belarus.News.

Agreements include: - a cooperation roadmap for 2026–2028 and a mutual visa waiver (which speeds up business travel and personnel exchanges); - a list of joint projects: assembly production of tractors, joint production of veterinary vaccines, supplies of MAZ vehicles, nitrogen fertilizers, medicines, dry milk and baby food; - intergovernmental agreements in customs and logistics, on mutual assistance in customs matters and on providing export credits. These elements are recorded in reports on the negotiations and the outcomes of the business forum in materials Belarus Today.

"Belarus is open to expanding cooperation with Myanmar. We are guided solely by national interests, without regard to external players." — Alexander Lukashenko (quoted in the visit report).

What systemic consequences might this rapprochement have for Eurasian integration and BRICS' role?

Short answer: strengthening practical Eurasian ties and expanding the BRICS/SCO coastal network of influence in Southeast Asia through bilateral projects and partnership status. Myanmar is showing interest in upgrading its status in regional formats (SCO, BRICS), and Belarus offers a practical "window" — access to EAEU markets and an expert network, as reports Capital Television and in the final materials.

At the same time Belarus is actively promoting its own concepts of Eurasian security and integration — together with Russia it presented the "Eurasian Charter of Security" at an expert forum in Belgium, indicating an attempt to formalize discussion of a multilateral security architecture in the region (see the speech and materials on the initiative, noted by Belarusian diplomatic sources).

What tactical risks and opportunities open up for BRICS+ companies and investors?

Short answer: real opportunities for pilot projects in mechanical engineering, agriculture and pharmaceuticals at the same time as risks from political uncertainty in Myanmar and the limited scale of the initial contracts. Specific facts and consequences (see materials from Belarus.News and Belarus Today):

Opportunities * The visa‑free regime — simplified business travel and personnel exchanges, lowering transaction costs for launching projects (the roadmap and the mutual visa waiver agreement). * A list of priority sectors: agriculture, industrial assembly (tractors), pharmaceuticals (including joint vaccine production), supplies of MAZ vehicles and food products — concrete entry points for Belarusian and joint companies. * Financing and tax/customs support: agreements on export credits, elimination of double taxation and customs cooperation create a mechanism for structuring deals and logistics chains.

Risks * Political risk and Myanmar's December elections: both sides emphasize the importance of stability, which directly affects the implementation of large investment projects (see reports on the negotiations). * The size and depth of current contracts: the business forum recorded contracts of around 9 million USD — significant for a start but not sufficient to guarantee a large‑scale industrial breakthrough without subsequent financing phases and guarantees.

(Sources: review of the visit results and the business forum in materials review Belarus.News and materials Belarus Today.)

Recommendations for action within 1–6 months * Conduct a reconnaissance roadshow: organize short business missions under the umbrella of the visa‑free regime to assess logistics and local partners (based on the signed agreements on visas and customs cooperation). * Plan pilot JVs in two priority areas (for example, agricultural machinery and pharma vaccines) with a clear stop‑loss structure — start with limited volumes (using the business forum contracts as a reference level). * Analyze political risks considering Myanmar's December elections and provide for insurance/guarantee instruments and flexible forfaiting schemes on export credits. * Assess logistics routes and the advantages of transiting via Indian Ocean ports, as well as the tax and customs conditions set out in the signed memorandums.

Short conclusion: Lukashenko's visit to Myanmar shifts relations from declarative to practical — instruments were signed that enable rapid launch of pilot projects, but a large‑scale effect will require additional financing, political stability in Myanmar and phased implementation of the agreed cooperation mechanisms.