Rooppur nuclear power plant stands as signature initiative in Bangladesh-Russia relations: FM

The foreign minister has said that the Rooppur nuclear power plant now stands as “a signature initiative” in Bangladesh and Russia bilateral relations.

Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali was speaking at Russia’s national day reception hosted by the Ambassador in Dhaka, Alexander Ignatov, on Tuesday evening.

He thanked the Russian authorities for the technical and financial support for the project that gives Bangladesh entry to the nuclear power area.

This is “a major breakthrough for the Bangladesh economy as well as for the mindset of our people,” he said.

The foreign minister recalled Russia’s role in Bangladesh’s 1971 war of independence against Pakistan, and post-war reconstruction and rehabilitation.

He also recalled many of the Russian servicemen who sacrificed their lives for clearing mines in the port of Chittagong after the war and said, today, the relationship with Russia “is robust and diverse”.

He said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, on assuming office in Jan 2009, decided to “deepen and widen” Dhaka’s engagements with Moscow in “a mutually beneficial manner” and both leaders agreed “to take additional steps to lift the bilateral relations to a new level.”

“Commonality of values and principles like securing global peace and stability, sovereignty of states and the peaceful resolution of conflicts give us the ground for meaningful cooperation in line with the principles and objectives enshrined in the UN Charter,” Ali said.

First unit of Rooppur to mark Bangladesh’s golden jubilee

The foreign minister said both countries were engaged in discussions about various ways of broader economic engagements, particularly creating more congenial two-way trade and investment opportunities and exchange of cultural delegations.

He ‘happily’ noted that the two-way trade had crossed the $1 billion mark, surpassing the target set during the prime minister’s visit to Moscow in 2013.

He said the negotiation for the Inter-Governmental Credit Agreement (IGCA) enabling Russian State Export Credit for construction of the final phase of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant had been completed, and the Agreement would be signed soon.

“We are confident that the first unit with 1200 MW capacity will be completed by 2021 when the people of Bangladesh will celebrate the golden jubilee or 50th anniversary of our independence.

“The second unit also of 1200 MW capacity is expected to be completed by 2023,” he said.

“With these projects, the Bangabandhu’s dream of building a Sonar Bangla (Golden Bengal) is finally coming true under the leadership of his daughter Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.”

He said he was also looking forward to visit Moscow “in the near future to discuss bilateral and global issues of mutual interest with Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov”.

And the visit would also, he said, be part of the “collective resolve and tireless efforts” to further “widening and deepening” the existing excellent bilateral relations.