Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur Rahman on Monday conveyed Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s greetings to Russian President Vladimir Putin, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin, and Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, stressing that they are all in favour of strengthening Dhaka-Moscow relations.
"We are all in favour of further strengthening our ties with Russia," he told his Russian counterpart during a bilateral meeting in Moscow.
This is his first bilateral visit to Russia, and he is scheduled to return home on Tuesday. Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir is accompanying the Foreign Minister.
"On both bilateral fronts and in terms of my discharge of responsibilities as the President of the UN General Assembly, I will rely on your help and support," Dr. Khalilur said.
The Foreign Minister gratefully acknowledged his Russian counterpart's support, which helped him win the election to the UNGA Presidency for the 81st session.
"You are right, we are entering the 81st session against the backdrop of a very complicated world. Forty years ago, I had the privilege of working with you at the UN, and those were simpler, more predictable days," said Dr. Khalilur, noting that he learned a great deal from his Russian counterpart even during those times.
He said the "world is not at peace" and that there are serious concerns regarding commitments to development and climate change.
"We also see some reversals in the results of the implementation of the SDGs. So, the task of the President of the General Assembly will not be easy," he observed.
Dr. Khalilur recalled the events of 1971 and noted that Russia was among the few countries that came forward to help Bangladesh achieve its independence.
"Without your very timely intervention, our struggle could have gone in a very different direction," he said.
The Foreign Minister said there has been considerable expansion in relations between the two countries in various fields, including trade, education, energy, and defence.
"We continue to do that," he said, noting that one of the landmarks of cooperation is the nuclear power plant.
"We have just completed the first fuel loading. We hope that it becomes operational soon," said the Foreign Minister.