Relationship dossier
Vatican City
Myanmar
Relationship assessment
Diplomatic engagement and a papal visit coexist with Vatican criticism of violence and political repression in Myanmar.
Vatican City toward Myanmar
+20The Vatican established diplomatic relations with Myanmar in 2017, and Pope Francis visited the country that year. Vatican statements have since addressed violence and humanitarian concerns in Myanmar, including following the 2021 military coup.
Myanmar toward Vatican City
+10Myanmar received Pope Francis during his 2017 visit, with meetings involving senior state leaders. The countries also established diplomatic relations that year; the extent of further substantive engagement is unclear.
Overall relationship
+15The relationship has a foundation of diplomatic engagement and the high-profile 2017 papal visit, but Vatican criticism of political violence and human-rights abuses has created an important point of difference. The scale and continuity of bilateral cooperation after the coup are unclear.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The Vatican and Myanmar established diplomatic relations in 2017, and Pope Francis visited Myanmar that year, meeting senior state and religious leaders. Vatican statements have also addressed violence and humanitarian concerns in Myanmar, including after the 2021 military coup. These engagements indicate some cooperation alongside differing positions on political violence and human rights; the extent of subsequent bilateral activity is unclear.
Areas of tension
- Vatican criticism of political violence and repression in Myanmar, particularly after the 2021 military coup.
- Vatican concern about humanitarian conditions and the treatment of vulnerable communities in Myanmar.
Key developments
The Vatican and Myanmar established diplomatic relations.
Pope Francis visited Myanmar and met senior state and religious leaders.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and continuity of bilateral cooperation after the 2017 papal visit are unclear.
- The extent of direct government-to-government engagement following the 2021 military coup is unclear.