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An airline operated by a junta crony is ready to launch direct flights between Myanmar and Russia’s third largest metropolis subsequent month.
Myanmar Airways Worldwide (MIA) will fly from Yangon and Mandalay to Russia’s Novosibirsk—the third largest metropolis in Russia and a significant producer of nuclear power and know-how— each Tuesday and Saturday ranging from September 5. The ticket fare is US$ 409.
MAI is owned by Aung Aung Zaw, who sponsors junta boss Min Aung Hlaing’s worldwide journey. However Russia, the most important arms provider of the regime, has been the one nation Min Aung Hlaing can go to up to now for the reason that coup. MAI’s direct flight to Russia is its first worldwide flight outdoors of Asia.
Amid worldwide sanctions, Myanmar’s junta and Russia’s authorities have established and fostered multi-sectoral cooperation, from politics, diplomacy and nuclear know-how, arms provide, to schooling and well being.
Direct flights are a brand new step in collaboration between the 2 pariah states.
In addition they comply with a cooperation settlement between Myanmar’s junta and Russian state-owned nuclear company Rosatom final yr, which has main subsidiaries in Novosibirsk.
The flights will debut about one yr after Min Aung Hlaing’s go to to Russia when he met President Vladimir Putin and mentioned direct flights to advertise tourism.
MAI was beforehand the nationwide service. Kanbawza Group, owned by high crony Aung Ko Win, took it over underneath Thein Sein’s quasi-civilian authorities. Aung Aung Zaw, who heads 24 Hour Teams of Firms, acquired the airline from Aung Ko Win in late 2018.
Ma Yadanar Maung, a spokesperson for advocacy group Justice for Myanmar (JFM), instructed The Irrawaddy: “MAI is a key enterprise accomplice of the Myanmar navy junta. MAI and the Myanmar Air Power have shared plane and the junta management use an MAI-branded plane for his or her worldwide journey, together with to Russia, the place the junta management has mentioned enterprise and the acquisition of arms.”
Following US sanctions towards two state-owned banks – Myanmar Overseas Commerce Financial institution and Myanma Funding and Industrial Financial institution—essential to supplying US {dollars} for the regime, Singapore’s United Abroad Financial institution (UOB) mentioned it is going to shut all of MAI’s financial institution accounts by August 15.
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