Staff Reporter

Dhaka and Moscow on January 15 signed three agreements and six memorandums of understanding (MoUs) on cooperation in different fields, including setting up of the much-awaited 1000-MW nuclear power plant at Rooppur in northern Bangladesh. Deputy Finance Minister of Russia Sergey Storchak and Economic Relations Division (ERD) Secretary of Bangladesh Md Abul Kalam Azad signed the agreement on the Extension of State Export Credit for Financing the Preparatory Stage Work of Nuclear Power Plant at Rooppur in Pabna and the Extension of a State Export Credit to the Bangladesh government. State Minister for Science and Technology Arhitect Yeafesh Osman and General Director of Russian State Atomic Energy Commission ‘Rosatom’ SV Kirienko penned the deal on the Establishment of a Nuclear Industry Information Centre in Bangladesh. Under an agreement Bangladesh will procure military equipment worth US$ one billion from Russia. The Prime Minister said this while talking to reporters at her hotel lobby after the signing of three agreements and six MoUs at Kremlin. Hasina said the friendship between Bangladesh and Russia would reach a new height through her visit, “They (Russia) are our friend of bad time…With this visit we renew our friendship, a new door of prospect has opened up with it.” The Prime Minister said the signing of the agreements and MoUs will help both countries enhance the bilateral trade volume. “The friendly relations and cooperation with Russia will increase a lot,” she added. Hasina also hoped that these agreements and MoUs would greatly help Bangladesh elevate its socioeconomic status, and recalled the help and assistance of Russia, the then Soviet Union, during the Liberation War and after the war. Hasina also said she invited Russian President Putin to visit Bangladesh and he accepted it. “He’ll visit at his convenient time,” she said. Ministers and officials concerned of the two countries signed the agreements and MoUs. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina led the Bangladesh side at the talks, while Russian side was headed by its President Vladimir Putin. Russian President Vladimir Putin said that they had constructive talks and hoped that the bilateral relations of the two countries will reach a new height. Beside the cooperation in the nuclear power plant, the Russian president mentioned that his country is interested to increase the cooperation in other energy sectors. In this connection, he mentioned the gas sector.