MOSCOW, June 22. /TASS/. Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu held a working meeting with Burmese Armed Forces Commander Min Aung Hlaing, who also serves as the Chairman of the State Administration Council of Myanmar. 

"We pay special attention to the today’s meeting, because Myanmar is our time-tested strategic partner and reliable ally in the Southeast Asia and the Asia Pacific Region," Shoigu said Tuesday. He underscored that "cooperation in military and military-technical fields are an important part of the entire complex of Russian-Burmese relations."

The Defense Minister noted that the Armed Forces of Myanmar are "one of the most efficient in the region today."

"It is equipped with modern arms and military vehicles, and this is, without doubt, your personal achievement, Mr. General," Shoigu told Hlaing.

Russian Defense Ministry views this meeting "as a perfect opportunity to exchange opinions on the perspectives of our cooperation, primarily in military and military-technical fields."

"We intend to exert further effort to strengthen the bilateral ties, based on the mutual understanding, respect and trust that formed between our countries. We are always open for a good mutual dialogue on all kinds of issues," Shoigu said.

In turn, Min Aung Hlaing noted that the Russian aid made the Burmese Army one of the strongest in the Asia Pacific Region.

"Our Army has become one of the strongest in the region, thanks to the Russian Federation," he said during the meeting, noting Shoigu’s personal contribution to the development of the Burmese Armed Forces.

"I thank you for that," he said. He also thanked Shoigu for the invitation to the Moscow International Security Conference.

According to the Burmese Commander, the today’s meeting confirmed that the friendship between the two countries "continues and becomes even stronger."

The two military officials then continued their negotiations behind closed doors.