Russia eyes long-stalled Dawei megaproject in Myanmar
China and India also see more opportunities in war-torn country
Russia has joined China and India in promoting its interests in war-ravaged Myanmar, in particular the possibility of investing in the moribund Dawei Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in which Thailand used to be a major player, according to local media reports.
Iskander Azizov, the Russian ambassador to Myanmar, on Tuesday visited Dawei to discuss the project with Myat Ko, the junta-appointed chief minister of Tanintharyi Region and chairman of the Dawei SEZ management committee, the independent news site The Irrawaddy reported.
In March last year, junta chief Min Aung Hlaing told Russia’s ITAR-Tass news agency that his regime was seeking Moscow’s help to kickstart the port project in Dawei, which would have capacity for vessels exceeding 200,000 tons.
The Irrawaddy said the Russian ambassador’s visit to followed a recent flurry of meetings in which regime officials called for work to be speeded up at the China-backed SEZ and deep-sea port projects in Kyaukphyu in Rakhine state, as well as the India-backed Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport project.
Ma Jia, the Chinese ambassador to Myanmar, met Myat Ko earlier this month to exchange views on promoting cooperation in investment, fisheries, electricity, tourism, education and other fields, according to the Chinese embassy.
The Russian ambassador also expressed Moscow’s interest in the investment and tourism sectors in Tanintharyi, inquiring about tourist hotspots in Myeik District like beaches and islands, and local and foreign investment in hotel projects in the Myeik Archipelago.
The Dawei SEZ sits on the Andaman Sea and is linked to the Gulf of Thailand by road via Thailand. It could potentially connect the Indian and Pacific oceans, linking Southeast Asia with South Asia and beyond.
The 196-square-kilometre project includes a deep-sea port and is expected to help companies that need to transport goods, as it would be part of an envisioned transport network bypassing the crowded Malacca Strait. The planned project also includes high-tech industrial zones, information technology zones, export-processing, transport hubs, business services and other infrastructure.
The project was launched with a 2008 memo of understanding between Thailand and Myanmar’s previous junta, which granted SET-listed Italian-Thai Development (ITD) a 75-year concession to construct the port-SEZ and attract investment.
Another agreement was signed in July 2012 and the two countries agreed later that year to complete the project by 2015.
However, after numerous delays, the Dawei SEZ management committee announced the cancellation of contracts with Italian-Thai in January 2021, just one month before the coup in Myanmar.
ITD is currently trying to resolve its debt problems and has been looking to sell assets to raise funds. A Thai-Chinese consortium has expressed interest in taking over infrastructure it invested in at Dawei, executives said recently.
In November 2022, junta boss Min Aung Hlaing visited Dawei and called for development to continue. In early 2024, deputy junta chief Soe Win declared that Myanmar must cooperate with the Thai government, which has reportedly shown renewed interest in the project.
Source: https://www.bangkokpost.com/business/general/2945905/russia-eyes-long-stalled-dawei-megaproject-in-myanmar
