Russia keen to help in energy

Russia is eagerly waiting to receive Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina when she will visit Moscow in early next year likely, says a Russian foreign ministry official in the city yesterday.
Andrey V Vorobiev, Deputy Head of the Press and International Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russian Federation, said this while he was speaking at a lecture on “Russian foreign policy in the 21st century” at Russian centre of Science and Culture in Dhanmondi.
He said Russia is looking for cooperating Bangladesh in energy and many other areas.
“In international relations, as everywhere in nature, there are ebbs and flows. That's good to know that now Russian-Bangladesh relations are on the rise,” said Vorobiev.
Russia is keen to pursue the positive course of cooperation with Bangladesh and strengthen bilateral ties, he added.
Replying to a question, he said there might be high profile visit from Russia after the visit of Hasina when Bangladesh will formally invite the Russian leadership.
Vorobiev, who is now on an official visit to Bangladesh, said Russia is not only eager to cooperate in energy sector, but also want to cooperate in many other sectors like agriculture, ICT, science and technology.
When asked what are the areas Russia wants to sign deals with Bangladesh during Hasina's visit, he said, “It depends on Bangladesh where it wants cooperation.”
Turning on bilateral relations and his childhood memories, he said, “I must admit that I remember very well despite the fact that in 1971 I was only 11 years, with what emotion and sympathy we all watched the news on the crucial events of the conquest of the independence of Bangladesh and subsequent first bilateral contracts of the Soviet Union and Bangladesh.”
“For me, then the name itself Mujibur Rahman was surrounded by romantic aura, like Fidel Castro or Jawaharlal Nehuru. Much later I learned that the Soviet Union was among the first countries which recognised Bangladesh, and the first, which opened its embassy here,” said the Russian official.
The Russian diplomat, who is in Bangladesh as part of exchange of visits by high officials, said Russia-Bangladesh just signed a framework agreement on setting up of nuclear power plants in Bangladesh as well as peaceful usage of nuclear technology, and officials of both the countries are now working out details of the agreement that will be signed during Hasina's visit.
Vorobiev in his speech also touched about current global situation, role of Russian Federation in global peace, situation in Iraq and Afghanistan and American strategies, role of NATO and Iran and Palestinian issues.
He was critical about American role in Afghanistan saying that “Afghanistan posed no terrorist threat to the United States nor does it now. Today the main threat emanating from Afghanistan is the level of narcotics production has increased 44-fold since 2001.”
Director of BILIA Dr Shahdeen Malik and Yury I Makarov, head of cultural department of Russian Embassy also spoke at the lecture session.