NEW DELHI, May 7. /TASS/. Russian authorities are ready to consider supplying oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) to Bangladesh if an official request is made by Dhaka, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Khozin told TASS.

"Our country is ready to consider the possibility of organizing oil and LNG supplies in the event of an official request from Dhaka," he said. According to the ambassador, the issue of supplying Russian energy resources to the South Asian republic was raised during meetings with Bangladeshi officials.

In mid-April, Bangladeshi Prime Minister Tarique Rahman appealed to partner countries for $2 bln in funding to meet the country’s urgent energy needs and maintain economic stability amid the ongoing global energy crisis linked to tensions in the Middle East. Rahman warned that the scale and consequences of the current crisis could surpass those of the oil shock of the 1970s, which triggered a decade-long period of economic stagnation in Bangladesh in the 1980s.

In early April, the Bangladeshi government decided to shorten operating hours for offices, shopping malls, and markets nationwide in order to conserve fuel and electricity. Authorities also ordered a 30% reduction in spending in the energy sector, including electricity and gas generation.