Ambassador Tin Shein said Myanmar was among the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with Egypt in 1953, just five years after gaining independence.
Myanmar opened its embassy in Cairo in 1955, becoming the second Southeast Asian nation to do so. Egypt followed in 1956 and remains the first and only African country with a permanent diplomatic mission in Myanmar.
The ambassador noted that these deep-rooted ties were strengthened through official visits in the 1950s and 1960s. In April 1955, President Gamal Abdel-Nasser visited Myanmar before attending the Bandung Conference, which helped launch the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM). During the visit, President Abdel-Nasser joined Myanmar’s late Prime Minister U Nu in celebrating the traditional Myanmar New Year.
Ambassador Tin Shein delivered his remarks at the Myanmar embassy’s Independence Day celebration, which was attended by Egyptian Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for Asian Affairs Amr Hamza and members of the ASEAN diplomatic corps and other dignitaries.
He emphasized that Myanmar has remained a sovereign nation since its independence and enjoys long-standing friendly relations with Egypt as fellow founding members of the NAM. Both countries continue to follow non-aligned and neutral foreign policies in line with the movement’s founding principles.
“Since I arrived in Egypt, I have been committed to revitalizing and strengthening our countries’ friendly relations based on mutual goodwill and shared interests,” he said. “In 2025, we achieved significant progress by signing two major bilateral agreements—the first of their kind in 31 years since 1994.”
The first agreement covers academic and institutional cooperation between the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs and the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies. The second is a memorandum of understanding on agricultural cooperation between the ministries of agriculture in both countries.
Tin Shein described these agreements as important first steps toward a comprehensive strategic partnership, with exchange visits by think tanks and agricultural experts planned in the near future.
Efforts are also underway to boost trade. A high-level business delegation, led by the chairman of Myanmar’s largest airline, recently visited Egypt to explore a partnership with Egypt Air to facilitate business travel and tourism.
Egyptian business officials and representatives from the Ministry of Investment are scheduled to visit Myanmar to discuss private-sector engagement and the creation of a Myanmar-Egypt Business Council.
The Ambassador highlighted ongoing plans to sign additional agreements, including a pact to facilitate official travel and a cooperation agreement on economic and technical matters.
On the political situation in Myanmar, he briefed the audience on recent developments, noting that nationwide elections were successfully conducted in three phases under international observation. A democratically elected government is expected to be formed by the end of March.
He concluded by saying that while the transition has faced challenges, Myanmar remains confident in overcoming them through collective effort and following the democratic path.
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