Myanmar’s diversification of its foreign relations: the European Union

This article focuses on the former Myanmar President Thein Sein’s efforts to counterbalance Beijing’s sway over Yangon and the EU’s attempts to identify a role for itself in the region. It aims to discuss the assumption that, by sponsoring the 2016 Special Partnership for Democracy, Peace and Prosperity with Myanmar, the EU was seeking to promote its role in Southeast Asia. It focuses on a few developments that contribute towards enhancing the EU’s involvement in cooperating with Myanmar. It examines how the former Myanmar President entertained diplomatic relations, in 2013, with the European capitals and the EU, and questions whether President Sein was possibly making efforts to free the country from subjection to other powers, specifically China. It discusses how Yangon’s slight distancing of itself from Beijing, combined with Sein’s opening up towards Europe, played the effect of boosting political activity regarding Myanmar at the EU level. It explores the EU’s policies on Myanmar and whether these attempt to respond to Sein’s search for assistance. It, lastly, assesses the article’s assumption. The article employs EU official documents, Southeast Asian and western media, scholarly works and other secondary publications to contribute to the analysis