Govt ‘will resolve’ payment issues over Rooppur plant debt, says Chief Advisor Yunus

The Rooppur plant is expected to generate power by next year, the Russian ambassador to Bangladesh says

Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus says that the interim government would resolve the issues tied to the payment of debt and interest on the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.

Alexander V Mantytskiy, outgoing Russian ambassador to Bangladesh, paid a farewell call on Yunus at his Tejgaon office on Wednesday. The discussion over the Rooppur loan was held at the meeting.

The Chief Advisor's Office, or CAO, said the interim administration chief had welcomed more Russian investment in Bangladesh.

Mantytskiy expects that the Rooppur plant will start generating power by next year. He also updated the chief advisor on the progress of the plant.

Bangladesh has taken steps to resolve the complexities with Russia over the payment of the Rooppur loan and interest.

Due to Western sanctions, the outstanding money could not be sent directly for so long, now an attempt is being made to process the payment through China.

Bangladesh has been trying to extend the repayment period of the original loan amid efforts to remit interest on the huge loan taken for the country's biggest project. However, Russia did not respond to the extension and instead sought a prompt payment of the interest.

Amid the tussle between the two sides, there was no option for Bangladesh Bank other than to take alternative measures to pay the interest to avoid complications in the work of the nuclear power plant.

Yunus and Mantytskiy also discussed the activities of Russia’s state-run oil and gas exploration company Gazprom in the country and the export of Russian wheat and fertiliser.

The chief advisor appreciated Russian cooperation in the power and energy sectors and Russia's role as a supplier of wheat and fertiliser to Bangladesh.

"We will work together," Yunus said.

Lamiya Morshed, senior secretary and head of SDG Affairs, and Md Abul Hasan Mridha, director general of the foreign ministry, were also present during the meeting.