Relationship Overview
Relations established
1948 (per Pakistan MOFA)
Sub-region
Mainland Southeast Asia
Pakistan recognised Myanmar's independence immediately in 1948; the relationship today is the smallest-by-trade-volume ASEAN tie in this tracker, but saw genuine 2026 diplomatic re-engagement at foreign-minister level.
Embassies: Pakistan's Embassy is in Yangon; the mission page material references Naypyidaw-based engagement for current government contacts.
Diplomatic Ties & High-Level Visits
Pakistan was among the first states to recognise Myanmar's independence in 1948. 2026 saw two notable re-engagements: a January foreign-ministers' meeting in Islamabad and a May courtesy call between Myanmar's Vice-President and Pakistan's Ambassador in Naypyidaw.
- Jan 2026Myanmar to Pakistan (Islamabad)
Myanmar FM Than Swe & Pakistan FM Ishaq Dar — Bilateral talks
Agreed to bolster ties in economy, trade, investment, agriculture, tourism (incl. religious tourism) and people-to-people/cultural exchanges.
- May 2026Pakistan to Myanmar
Vice-President U Nyo Saw & Pakistan's Ambassador — Courtesy call, Naypyidaw
Discussed cementing diplomatic relations and enhancing trade/investment cooperation.
Trade & Economic Relations
Bilateral trade, at roughly $70 million, is explicitly described by Pakistani officials as far below its latent potential -- both January and May 2026 meetings were framed around closing that gap rather than managing an already-mature relationship.
| Year | Trade volume | Source |
|---|
| current | $70M | Institute of Regional Studies (IPRI), 2026 analysis |
| 2024 | $12.57M (Pakistan exports only) | TradingEconomics.com, citing Pakistani trade data |
Pakistan exports to Myanmar
- Pharmaceutical products (medicament mixtures)
- Cement
- Medicinal plants
- Leather
- Cotton fabrics
- Electro-medical apparatus
Myanmar exports to Pakistan
- Fruits and vegetable products
- Wood
- Seafood
- Jute and other textile fibres
- Medicinal plants
Investment & market notes: Pharmaceutical products make up a significant share of Pakistan's exports to Myanmar -- the single clearest existing Pakistani competitive strength in this market.
Opportunities for Business, Education & Collaboration
Myanmar is the ASEAN relationship most explicitly described by both governments as under-developed relative to potential -- the opportunity here is genuinely early-stage rather than a market to optimise within an existing framework.
Business & Trade
- Pharmaceuticals are Pakistan's proven export strength in this market already and the most defensible near-term growth line.
- Agriculture and tourism (including religious tourism, given Pakistan's Buddhist heritage sites relevant to Myanmar's majority-Buddhist population) were both named explicitly at the Jan 2026 FM-level meeting.
- Investment cooperation was raised as a distinct agenda item in both the January and May 2026 meetings, though no specific investment vehicle or figure was identified.
Education
- No dedicated scholarship or education-exchange scheme was identified in current research.
Collaboration
- Pakistan's CLMV Assistance Program and Technical Assistance Programme (PTAP) extend capacity-building courses (banking, postal services, railways, diplomacy) and electronic-equipment provision to Myanmar, alongside Cambodia and Laos, as Pakistan's stated CLMV bloc.
- Religious/cultural tourism was specifically named in the Jan 2026 FM meeting as a growth area, distinct from general tourism.
- People-to-people and cultural exchange was explicitly reaffirmed at FM level in Jan 2026.
Security, Culture & People-to-People Ties
No dedicated defence-cooperation mechanism was identified in current research; cultural ties centre on the religious-tourism angle raised in 2026 talks.
Defense & security
- No verified information available yet.
Culture & people-to-people
- Religious tourism was specifically flagged in Jan 2026 FM-level talks, drawing on Pakistan's Gandhara Buddhist heritage sites as a draw for Myanmar's Buddhist-majority population.
Sources & Methodology
This page is compiled from open-source, primarily official material (Pakistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, mission/embassy pages, and government-to-government meeting readouts), cross-checked against reputable news reporting and, where available, peer-reviewed academic research. Where sources gave differing figures for different years, both are kept rather than silently reconciled. Items are marked as an open gap where no verified information could be found, rather than estimated. This tracker is a living document, updated as new agreements, visits or data are published.
Sources consulted- Pakistan Ministry of Foreign Affairs, "Pak Myanmar Relations" (Yangon mission page) — https://mofa.gov.pk/yangon-pak-myanmar-relations
- The Friday Times, "Pakistan-Myanmar Ties Strengthened Through MoU, Trade, And Cultural Cooperation," 6 Feb 2026 — https://www.thefridaytimes.com/06-Feb-2026/pakistan-myanmar-ties-strengthened-mou-trade-cultural-cooperation
- Anadolu Agency, "Pakistan, Myanmar agree to bolster economy, trade, investment ties" — https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/pakistan-myanmar-agree-to-bolster-economy-trade-investment-ties/3811252
- Institute of Policy Studies (IPRI), "Pakistan-Myanmar Trade Ties: Likely Prospects" — https://ipripak.org/pakistan-myanmar-trade-ties-likely-prospects/
- Global New Light of Myanmar (Myanmar government outlet), "Myanmar, Pakistan to boost diplomatic relations, trade and investment" — https://www.gnlm.com.mm/myanmar-pakistan-to-boost-diplomatic-relations-trade-and-investment/
Disclaimer: This tracker presents open-source research compiled by the IPDS Centre for ASEAN Studies research desk. It does not represent an official position of the Government of Pakistan, and does not constitute an endorsement by IPDS of any state's position on unresolved disputes referenced herein.
