Myanmar's new president sees challenges ahead

Myanmar's new President Min Aung Hlaing said on Friday his government has many challenges to overcome and seeks to improve the country's international standing, including normalising ties with Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN after five years in the cold.



In his inauguration address, the former military chief who was the architect of a 2021 coup that led to civil war and international sanctions said his government would strive to spur foreign investment and domestic business growth as part of "effective, long-term strategic plans" for resource-rich Myanmar. "



Myanmar is now well on its way toward democracy but the new government has a lot of challenges to overcome," President Hlaing told a parliament packed with lawmakers from an army-backed party and legislators hand-picked by the military.



His speech lasted less than 20 minutes and lacked specifics on his agenda, including what steps would be taken to end Myanmar's international isolation, or tackle the raging civil war in which the military is accused of widespread atrocities against the civilian population. It denies wrongdoing.