Dhaka to seek Moscow support
Bangladesh will seek Russia's support in addressing the Rohingya crisis during Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali's official visit to Moscow on April 2 when he will hold a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.
Diplomatic sources said the foreign minister will leave for Moscow on April 1 for the two-day visit.
The ministry officials have expressed hope that the visit will improve bilateral relations between the two countries and strengthen ties.
They said there are a host of issues to be discussed but the Rohingya issue will come up prominently since Russia along with China had blocked a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) statement on Myanmar recently and opposed UN criticism of Myanmar over the Rohingya issue.
Officials said Foreign Minister Ali will hold the meeting with Lavrov on the current state and prospect of bilateral relations and regional and international issues of common concern, importantly the fight against terrorism and violent extremism.
They said both the countries have been working on signing two dozens of agreements and memorandums of understanding. Half of them are already at final stage, they added. It is not learnt whether any deal will be signed during the minister's visit.
In addition, the much talked-about alleged poisoning of former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia Skripal will also be discussed.
Diplomatic sources in Dhaka said the Russian side will take up the issue with the Bangladesh foreign minister so that Dhaka is not influenced by the US and UK on the issue.
Both Moscow and London have formally briefed Dhaka about the alleged poisoning.
Skripal, now a British citizen, and his daughter Yulia, a Russian national, were poisoned with a chemical applied as nerve agent at Salisbury in southern England on March 4.
The foreign ministry officials said the British High Commission on March 15 formally apprised the Bangladesh government about the issue.
Similarly, the Russian embassy in a diplomatic note sent to the ministry has denied poisoning former double agent Sergei Skripal in Britain.
The British government has also requested the Bangladesh government to use their good office for playing a neutral role as the current chair of the Executive Council of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) of the UN.
Bangladesh Ambassador to the Netherlands Sheikh Mohammed Belal is the current chair of The Hague based-OPCW, an intergovernmental organisation and the implementing body for the Chemical Weapons Convention of the UN.
Dhaka and Moscow strengthened their relations in January 2013 when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid a state visit to the Russian Federation and had comprehensive discussions with Russian President Vladimir Putin that ended with signing agreements on defence cooperation and nuclear energy.
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