Russian, Bangladeshi foreign ministers discuss regional issues, coordination at UN

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov met with his Bangladeshi counterpart Khalilur Rahman on Monday in Moscow to discuss bilateral cooperation, regional issues and coordination at the United Nations.

Speaking at the briefing following the meeting, Lavrov congratulated Rahman on his election as president of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly, noting that his first foreign trip after the election was to Russia.

He described Bangladesh as one of Russia's key partners in South Asia and said the two countries would mark 55 years of diplomatic relations in January 2027.

Lavrov said Bangladesh is Russia's second-largest trading partner in South Asia after India, with bilateral trade consistently exceeding $2 billion in recent years. He said both sides agreed there is potential to expand trade and discussed developing more reliable financial settlement mechanisms amid what Moscow describes as Western pressure on international economic ties.

Energy remained a central topic of the talks, with Lavrov highlighting the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant as the flagship bilateral project. He noted that the plant's first power unit reached the physical starting stage in April.

The two sides also agreed to strengthen interparliamentary contacts, review pending bilateral agreements, and expand regular consultations on regional and international issues.

Lavrov said they discussed the Middle East, including the impact of the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran on regional stability and energy security.

He also said they exchanged views on war in Ukraine and the Rohingya refugee crisis.

Lavrov said Russia supports resolving the Rohingya issue through direct dialogue between Bangladesh and Myanmar and warned against outside interference in the process.

Lavrov thanked Bangladesh for what he described as its balanced position on the Ukraine conflict and said he looks forward to further cooperation during the upcoming session of the UN General Assembly.

DHAKA SEEKS SUPPORT FOR BRICS MEMBERSHIP

Separately, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said it sought Russian support to be a member of BRICS and SCO, to which the Russian foreign minister replied positively.

It also requested a duty-free, quota-free (DFQF) market for Bangladeshi products, a fast-track registration process for Bangladeshi goods, Russian investment in special economic zones and Hi-Tech parks in Bangladesh, and the conclusion of an FTA between Bangladesh and the Eurasian Economic Commission (EEC).

Appreciating the fuel loading of the first unit of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant and largest mega-project under Russian assistance, the visiting foreign minister requested the Russian foreign minister to help expedite the commissioning of the second unit as planned.