The State of Israel and the Union of Myanmar achieved independence in the same year - 1948.  Myanmar was the first country in Southeast Asia that recognized Israel as an independent state.  Diplomatic relations between the two countries were established at the beginning of the 50’s.

In the years since the establishment of diplomatic relations, the two countries have nurtured a strong bond of friendship, which have included visits of high level officials from both countries. 

Bilateral cooperation has developed in various fields of endeavor, including education, agriculture, health, and the economy. Under the sponsorship of MASHAV, the Israel Center for International Cooperation, and through other channels, government officials and professionals from various ministries in Myanmar have visited Israel for study tours as well as for training programs. Moreover, numerous “on-the-spot” courses in Myanmar have been conducted in the fields of agriculture, livestock, telecommunications, and education.

Since 1994, successful ongoing collaboration in the fields of agriculture and livestock is taking place in cooperation with AICAT (Arava International Center for Agricultural Training) and the Granot Agro-Studies Group. During this period, the number of Myanmar trainees that have participated in the program and have experienced training in Israel is well over one thousand. The trainees from Myanmar are introduced to modern methods of irrigation; growing vegetables, fruits, and flowers, and livestock breeding by means of computers and advanced technologies in cooperation with Israeli farmers.

Cooperation between the two countries has always been wide in the education sector as well. A trilateral academic cooperation has been formed between the Israeli Embassy, the Myanmar Ministry of Education, and non-governmental organizations like UNICEF, in order to deal with issues of early childhood education, like naturalistic language enrichment.

There is a great potential for developing economic ties and for expanding the extent of bilateral trade.  Companies from the two countries can look into opportunities for doing business, and such cooperation already exists, for example, in the fields of livestock and fisheries, and information technology.

After Cyclone Nargis hit Myanmar, the Israeli government and people expressed their condolences to the victims, and made the following donations:

1)         A cargo of 8 tons of medical supplies was sent by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Israel and the JOINT (American – Jewish Joint Distribution Committee), and was donated to the victims through Malteser International;

2)         A cargo of more than 2 tons of food and shelter supplies was sent by “Latet” (which means “to give”) – a humanitarian Israeli organization.

Israel is also participating in other rehabilitation projects of several villages in the delta region.