Myanmar's new president, Min Aung Hlaing, acknowledged the magnitude of the challenges facing his country, while also expressing his ambition to revive international relations, particularly with ASEAN.
During his inaugural address, the former head of the military junta, who staged the 2021 coup, declared his intention to turn the page on diplomatic isolation and promote normalization with his Southeast Asian neighbors after several years of tensions.
Min Aung Hlaing stated that his priorities would be peace, national reconciliation and the building of a political system based on democracy and federalism, without, however, detailing the concrete measures to achieve this.
He also indicated that his government would seek to attract foreign investment and support economic development in a resource-rich country weakened by international sanctions and a persistent civil war.
The new power relies heavily on figures from the military, both in the government and in parliament, which raises doubts about a genuine democratic transition.
The president mentioned the possibility of "appropriate amnesties," without specifying their scope, in what could be interpreted as an attempt at appeasement in the context of internal conflict.
Since the coup, Myanmar has been plunged into a deep crisis, marked by clashes between the army and armed groups, as well as serious accusations of human rights violations, which the authorities deny.
Despite his opening statements, Min Aung Hlaing will have to convince the international community and regional actors of the credibility of his commitments, in an extremely fragile political and security environment.
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