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Rosatom counts on fruitful cooperation with new Bangladeshi authorities — CEO

Alexey Likhachev noted that Rosatom's strategic project – Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant, Rooppur – is primarily aimed at improving the quality of life for the people

MOSCOW, February 18. /TASS/. Russian nuclear corporation Rosatom congratulated the Bangladesh Nationalist Party on its election victory and counts on fruitful cooperation with the country's new leadership, Rosatom CEO Alexey Likhachev said in an interview with the Strana Rosatom industry newspaper.

"We closely followed the parliamentary elections. The country is our important partner. We welcome the elections, congratulate the Bangladesh Nationalist Party, led by Tarique Rahman, on their victory, and confirm our readiness to continue fruitful cooperation," the head of Rosatom said.

He noted that Rosatom's strategic project – Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant, Rooppur – is primarily aimed at improving the quality of life for the people.

"Rosatom, in collaboration with the customer, is ready to commission the first unit of the nuclear power plant by the end of the year. All work at the plant is proceeding according to schedule, and we are approaching a key event – the startup," Likhachev said.

The 13th parliamentary elections were held in Bangladesh on February 12, 18 months after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party resigned in August 2024 amid mass anti-government protests. For a year and a half, the country was governed by an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus.

The Election Commission of Bangladesh announced that the Bangladesh Nationalist Party and its supporters won 212 of the 299 seats in parliament. The main opposition force will be the Islamist Jamaat-e-Islami Bangladesh, which, together with its coalition partners, holds 77 seats.

On February 14, 2003, the Russian Supreme Court recognized Pakistani Islamist party Jamaat-e-Islami as a terrorist organization and banned its activities in Russia.

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), with two VVER-1200 reactors and a total capacity of 2,400 MW, is under construction 160 km from Dhaka, the capital of Bangladesh, according to a general contract signed on December 25, 2015. The Russian design, with VVER-1200 reactors, successfully implemented at two power units of the Novovoronezh NPP, was selected for Bangladesh's first NPP. As part of state support loans Russia has provided Bangladesh with $11.9 billion.

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