“Our priorities are democracy and peace”: New Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing pledges ASEAN will return to normal
Newly sworn-in Myanmar President Min Aung Hlaing said on Friday that his government has “many challenges to overcome” and will seek to normalize relations with the Southeast Asian bloc (ASEAN), in his first inauguration speech before Parliament.Min Aung Hlaing said in his speech in the capital, Naypyidaw, which lasted less than 20 minutes and was attended by more than 50 foreign guests, “Myanmar is now on its way towards democracy, but the new government has many challenges that it must overcome.”He added: “Our priorities are democracy and peace.”
“Strengthening international relations”
The former junta chief said his government would work to strengthen Myanmar’s position on the global stage.“We will strengthen international relations and strive to restore normal relations with ASEAN,” he added.The 2021 coup and subsequent crackdown by the military under Min Aung Hlaing led to the intervention of the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which later banned the junta’s leadership from attending its summits.
The road map is based on democracy and federalism
Min Aung Hlaing said his government will focus on stimulating foreign investment, developing agriculture and formulating effective long-term strategic plans.He added, “The new government will implement a road map based on democracy and federalism.”
Transition from general to president
Parliament elected Min Aung Hlaing as president a week ago, formalizing his grip on political power in war-torn Myanmar five years after he led a coup that sent the country sliding into chaos.His carefully choreographed journey from top general to civilian president follows recent elections in which a military-backed party won in a landslide, but which critics and Western governments derided as a ruse designed to perpetuate military rule behind a veneer of democracy.