Myanmar President Arrives In Bodh Gaya On Five-Day Visit, To Meet PM Modi On Monday

Patna: Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing arrived in Bodh Gaya in Bihar on Saturday for a five-day official visit to India.

Bihar Governor Lt Gen Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) gave him a red-carpet welcome at the Gaya International Airport. Soon after landing at Bodh Gaya, Hlaing visited the UNESCO World Heritage Mahabodhi Temple, the site where Siddhartha Gautama achieved enlightenment to become the Buddha (the enlightened one).

It is considered a must-visit site for Buddhists across the world. The Myanmar President spent some time at the temple and participated in prayers as per Buddhist traditions.

He also visited the Sujata Temple and the Myanmarese Buddhist monastery at Bodh Gaya. Tight, multi-layered security arrangements were put in place due to his visit to the town. The Myanmar President is a retired military officer and has been the 11th president of Myanmar since April this year.

Earlier, as head of the military junta, he ruled the country continuously since seizing power in February 2021 through a military coup against the elected government.

Welcoming Hlaing’s visit, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal highlighted India's civilisational and spiritual ties with Myanmar.

"A warm welcome to President U Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar on his arrival in Bodh Gaya. He was received by Hon'ble Governor Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd) at the airport. The visit reflects the strong spiritual, historical and people-to-people ties that bind our two countries and the depth of our ongoing cooperation," Jaiswal wrote in a post on X.

This is Hlaing’s first visit to the country in his current capacity. He has come with a delegation of several cabinet ministers, senior officials and business leaders. His high-profile visit will feature multiple stops across India, balancing diplomatic meetings with commercial and cultural engagements.

The Myanmar President will hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 1 to further strengthen the historical and civilizational ties between the two countries.

He will also participate in a business forum where both nations will explore trade and commerce opportunities. Hlaing will travel to Mumbai on June 2 to participate in business and industry interactions, as well as site visits. His arrival in the country is expected to deepen the multifaceted relations between India and Myanmar.

Earlier this week, the MEA had said that India and Myanmar would discuss border security, connectivity, and all matters that form part of the gamut of relations between Myanmar and India.

The business component has been woven into the itinerary to further strengthen the economic ties between the two neighbouring countries. India – Myanmar bilateral trade stood at 1.95 billion dollars in financial year 2025-26, and India is Myanmar’s fourth largest trading partner. Joint working groups from both countries are working in power, energy, health, science and technology, shipping and traditional medicine.

The two countries are also indulging in Rupee-Kyat trade settlement mechanism and have processed over 130 transactions amounting to nearly 12 million dollars. Both nations are cooperating in various infrastructure development projects. The relationship is guided by India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ and ‘Act East’ policies.

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