NEW DELHI, August 15. /TASS/. Russia and Bangladesh, in addition to cooperation in the fuel and energy and agricultural sectors, can develop interaction in the ICT (Information and communication technologies) and space technologies, Russian Ambassador to Dhaka Alexander Mantytsky said at a meeting with the Minister of Foreign Affairs in the interim government of Bangladesh Touhid Hossain.

"There are promising areas of mutual interest that we are eager to develop, such as ICTs and space technologies, including Bangabandhu-2 satellite project, import of skilled work force from Bangladesh, to name a few," according to the ambassador’s statement, the copy of which was obtained by TASS.

The ambassador assured the Bangladeshi side that the two countries "have all prerequisites to unlock new avenues of mutually beneficial collaboration for the sake of our friendly peoples."

"Russian Federation operates on the premise that recent changes in the government of Bangladesh constitute an internal affair of your country, However, we are glad to see that political processes are brought under control and returning to normal [track]. As for the prospects of bilateral cooperation, | would like to remind that since the establishment of diplomatic relations with Bangladesh in 1972, Moscow has always been and will remain a trusted friend of Dhaka, Thus, neither internal nor external factors can divert our leadership from further expanding and promotion of multifaceted bilateral ties," the Russian ambassador said.

As Mantytsky recalls, Bangladesh is the second largest trade partner of Russia in South Asia.

"In 2023, despite global hindrances the bilateral turnover increased by 16.5% and reached $2.7 billion, with $1.8 billion being the Russian export and $900 million - Bangladeshi supplies to the Russian market," he noted.

According to the diplomat, Russia has also been contributing a lot to the energy security of Bangladesh through the exploration and extraction of natural gas in its territory.

"Since 2012, Gazprom Company has completed drilling of 20 wells and is planning to explore more gas fields. Russia is constructing the first Bangladeshi nuclear power plant Rooppur," the ambassador noted.

"Agriculture is another key pillar of our cooperation, with the regular supplies of wheat and fertilizers at affordable prices to the local market. In 2023, a record-high performance of trade in food grain was achieved, with Russian 2.67 million tons exports of wheat," he stressed.

Recent events in Bangladesh

On August 5, in the midst of anti-government demonstrations, Sheikh Hasina resigned and left the country. She flew to India the same day and is currently in what Indian authorities say is a safe house. The protests against her were led by student youth unhappy with high unemployment and lack of prospects. The riots left more than 500 people dead on the streets of various cities in Bangladesh.

A caretaker government has been formed in the country. It is headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus and was sworn in on August 8.