MOSCOW, August 14. /ITAR-TASS/. Russian-Myanmar military-to-military cooperation is vital for security in the Asia Pacific Region, Chairman of the Russian Army General Staff, Colonel-General Valery Gerasimov said on Thursday.

“Russian-Myanmar cooperation has a long-term and multifaceted nature. We maintain active political dialogue and develop trade, economic, military and technical ties,” he said at a meeting with Maynmar’s Army Commander, Vice-Senior General So Win.

“Maynmar is our important partner in ensuring security in the region where pockets of tensions still exist and require attention,” Gerasimov said. “We are convinced that many security issues in the region can and should be solved through military-to-military cooperation and open and fair dialogue.”

He spoke highly of cooperation between the Russian and Manymar defense ministries and the senior defence officials’ dialogue between ASEAN and partner countries held last spring.

Gerasimov thanked the chief of the Myanmar General Staff, General Hla Htay Win for attending the Moscow International Security Conference in May and invited Maynmar Defense Ministry top officials to take part in the next forum in 2015.

He also thanked the Maynmar leadership for the warm reception it had extended to the Russian Pacific Fleet sailors during their first ever visit to the port of Thilawa last November.

“The visit of the Russian Navy warships was an excellent demonstration of the high level of trust between our countries and reaffirmed their mutual interest in more active military-to-military cooperation,” Gerasimov said.