Moscow
Moscow seeks stronger ties with Dhaka amid anti-Russian sanctions
Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Mantytskiy on Wednesday said anti-Russian sanctions imposed by the West cannot hurt their development and sought stronger ties with Bangladesh.
He dismissed "ungrounded accusations" of Russia being responsible for a global food and energy crisis.
Mantytskiy was speaking at the discussion "Six Months of the Special Military Operation (SMO) in Ukraine: Its Results and Perspectives. Russia-Bangladesh Relations in the Context of Economic Crisis."
The Russian Embassy in collaboration with Russian news agency and radio Sputnik hosted the event.
The envoy listed the causes and aims of the Russian SMO, exposed "unlawful methods of war" used by the Ukrainian Army, and outlined the major shifts in the world order that are gaining momentum after February 24, 2022.
Vasily Pushkov, director of international cooperation at Sputnik, said the world is now in an era of unprecedented changes and the global media market is not an exception.
The monopoly of the Western media is fading, which is quite logical considering the importance of first-hand information, he added.
Read: Russia slams sanctions, seeks to blame West for food crisis
"That is why we consider direct international cooperation between media the most precious thing nowadays and invite our colleagues from Bangladesh to strengthen the professional ties,' Pushkov said.
Members of political parties and scholars from universities and think tanks joined the event.
Bangladesh is now in touch with Russia to buy crude and refined oil from the country.
Mantytskiy said the supply of Russian crude and refined oil is being discussed both at the intergovernmental and business-to-business levels. "The two countries are also exploring ways to find alternatives to dollars in bilateral trade."
Daughter of 'Putin's brain' ideologist killed in car blast
The daughter of a Russian nationalist ideologist who is often referred to as “Putin's brain” was killed when her car exploded on the outskirts of Moscow, officials said Sunday.
The Investigative Committee branch for the Moscow region said the Saturday night blast was caused by a bomb planted in the SUV driven by Daria Dugina.
The 29-year-old was the daughter of Alexander Dugin, a prominent proponent of the “Russian world” concept ideology and a vehement supporter of Russia's sending of troops into Ukraine.
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Dugina expressed similar views and had appeared as a commentator on the nationalist TV channel Tsargrad.
“Dasha, like her father, has always been at the forefront of confrontation with the West,” Tsargrad said on Sunday, using the familiar form of her name.
The explosion took place as Dugina was returning from a cultural festival she had attended with her father. Some Russian media reports cited witnesses as saying the vehicle belonged to her father and that he had decided at the last minute to travel in another car.
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No suspects were immediately identified. But Denis Pushilin, president of the separatist Donetsk People's Republic that is a focus of Russia's fighting in Ukraine, blamed it on “terrorists of the Ukrainian regime, trying to kill Alexander Dugin."
Hostel fire kills 8 in Moscow
A fire broke out in a hostel in southeastern Moscow, killing eight people and injuring three others, Sputnik reported Friday.
An acting head of the city department of the Russian Emergencies Ministry said the fire was caused by the lattices installed on the windows.
Read: Russia attacks Kyiv area for the first time in weeks
The fire has since been extinguished.
An emergency services spokesperson noted that the victims had died of carbon monoxide poisoning.
Moscow lauds Dhaka's commitment to friendly ties with it
Moscow has appreciated Dhaka's consistency in the international arena and commitment to friendly relations with it.
Adherence to the principle "friendship to all, malice to none" and resistance to the "enormous external pressure" over the past two months in connection with the Ukrainian crisis, have proved the status of Bangladesh as an independently thinking state with a strong national agenda, said the Russian Embassy in a Facebook post Monday.
Also Read: Moscow to increase cooperation with Asian countries: Deputy FM
The post referred to Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Mantytskiy who recently spoke at a conference in Moscow State Institute of International Relations on "Russia-Bangladesh: 50 years of diplomatic relations."
Bangladeshi singers perform in Moscow
With the support of the Russian House in Dhaka, Bangladeshi artists Mausumi Akter Shraboni and Md. Alauddin performed in a concert in Gorky Park, Moscow marking the Immortal Regiment march recently.
Traditional songs in modern arrangement quickened interest in the audience and organizers, said the Russian Embassy in Dhaka.
Also read:Russia to provide internships to Bangladeshi doctors
Moscow to increase cooperation with Asian countries: Deputy FM
Deputy Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation Igor Morgulov has said Moscow will increase cooperation with the Asian countries including Bangladesh which have not joined the sanctions.
“Refocusing of Moscow’s foreign economic strategy towards the East has not started today. This process is of an objective nature and results primarily from the transformation of the Asia-Pacific region into a locomotive of the world economic development,” the Russian Embassy in Dhaka quoted the Russian Deputy Foreign Minister.
Also read:Inclusion of new locomotives to contribute to modernization of BR: South Korea
He stressed that starting from 2010, the share of the Asia-Pacific countries in Russia’s foreign trade has more than tripled and by 2022 it has exceeded 30%.
“That creates a solid foundation for further cooperation with the Asian partners which have not joined the anti-Russian sanctions. Among them are not only China, which I have already mentioned, but also such an economic giant as India, major regional economic players - Iran, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and other states of Southeast Asia,” the Deputy Minister said.
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Igor Morgulov also noted that all these dynamically developing economies are interested in increasing supplies of a wide range of the Russian products - energy resources, fertilizers, ferrous and non-ferrous metals, high-quality food, engineering products, as well as in filling the market niches that are being vacated in our country.
UN chief calls for cease-fire on Moscow visit
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a cease-fire in Ukraine at his meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Guterres is visiting Moscow and is then scheduled to visit the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv, this week.
Also read:Russia hits faraway targets; diplomat warns of risk of WWIII
“We are extremely interested in finding ways in order to create the conditions for effective dialog, create the conditions for a cease-fire as soon as possible, create the conditions for a peaceful solution,” Guterres said, speaking in televised comments at the start of the meeting.
Guterres also said he wanted to reduce the impact of fighting in Ukraine on food security in other parts of the world. Lavrov said they would discuss “the situation around Ukraine that acts as a catalyst for a great number of problems which had piled up over recent decades in the Euro-Atlantic region.”
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Guterres is also expected to meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin later Tuesday.
Dhaka, Moscow to boost constructive bilateral cooperation: Putin
Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Bangladesh and Russia will ensure further development of constructive bilateral cooperation in political, trade, economic, humanitarian and other spheres through joint efforts.
He said the constructive bilateral cooperation undoubtedly meets the interests of their people and goes in line with the promotion of regional stability and security.
President Putin emphasized that the relations between the two countries are based on the good traditions of friendship and mutual respect.
Also read: US committed to expanding ties with Bangladesh to thrive together: Blinken
He said this in a message sent to President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina marking the Independence Day of Bangladesh on Saturday.
President Putin wished the President and the Prime Minister of Bangladesh sound health and success, as well as happiness and prosperity to all citizens of Bangladesh.
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Dhaka, Moscow working out modalities to keep transactions, trade uninterrupted: Russian envoy
Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Mantytskiy on Thursday said his country and Bangladesh are working out modalities to keep transactions and trade uninterrupted, avoiding SWIFT system following the Ukraine crisis.
He said different options are being considered, including swap of national currencies and usage of third country's banks but did not want to go into the details of this work.
The Russian ambassador made the remarks at a press conference at the Russian Club highlighting Bangladesh-Russia economic cooperation and its development.
Read:Nordic envoys emphasise importance of democracy with fair elections in Bangladesh
The press conference titled "One month of the Russia's special military operation in Ukraine: causes and results. The world of post-truth" covered five key areas - the background of the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Russia's diplomatic efforts aimed at avoiding the conflict, the results of the Russia's special military operation, role of the West in the militarization and Nazification of Ukraine, economic consequences of the conflict and Russia-Bangladesh relations in a new reality.
Responding to a question on Bangladesh’s voting at the UNGA on March 2, the Russian envoy said they highly appreciate Bangladesh's "responsible and balanced" attitude towards the resolution.
"We express our gratitude to the Bangladeshi side for its neutral position taken despite the enormous external pressure during the said voting," he said.
The ambassador said Bangladesh Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen very specifically defined the motives behind Bangladesh's abstention. "So, I have nothing more to add."
Rooppur NPP to be implemented as scheduled
Responding to a question Mantytskiy said construction of the Rooppur NPP is on schedule and the project will be implemented in accordance with previously approved plans. “All operations are being carried out on schedule.”
In 2021, he said, the dome of the inner containment was assembled at Unit 1, the reactor vessel and reactor plant equipment were installed, in February of this year while welding of the reactor coolant pipeline was completed.
Deaerator has been installed in the machine room and installation of the polar crane was completed at Unit 2 in November 2021, said the Ambassador, adding that the reactor vessel and steam generators are scheduled to be mounted by the end of the year.
Construction of a training centre for the operational personnel of the Rooppur NPP is at its final stage, he said.
Active work is currently underway on the installation of the key thermal and mechanical, electrical equipment and process pipelines, said the Russian envoy.
Israel to maintain relations with Kyiv, Moscow
Israel’s prime minister says the country is managing its involvement with Ukraine and Russia “in a sensitive, generous and responsible way while balancing various and complex considerations” after Ukraine’s president called on Israel to take sides.
Naftali Bennett spoke on the tarmac at Israel’s main international airport as an aid delegation was set to depart for Ukraine to set up a field hospital for refugees near the Polish border.
Read:Zelenskyy evokes Holocaust as he appeals to Israel for aid
A day earlier Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rebuked Israel in a televised address to Israeli parliament members, saying Israel should provide arms and impose sanctions on Russia.
Israel has good relations with both Ukraine and Russia and has acted as an intermediary between the two sides since Russia invaded Ukraine in late February. While Israel has condemned Russia’s invasion, it has also refrained from taking action that would anger Moscow out of concern of jeopardizing its military coordination in neighboring Syria.
Bennett said that “Israel has extended its hand in aid in the Ukraine crisis for several weeks, very much from the first moment, through different channels,” pointing to humanitarian aid shipments and taking in Ukrainian refugees and immigrants.