NEW DELHI, February 11. /TASS/. Russia hopes through close dialogue to eliminate all barriers to bilateral trade with Bangladesh, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander Khozin said in an interview with TASS.

"Although the difficulties in establishing supply chains and conducting interbank payments have not been fully resolved, we hope that through constructive dialogue, we will be able to completely remove the existing obstacles to our trade, which would be in the interests of both countries," he noted.

As the ambassador recalled, in December 2022, under pressure from Washington, Dhaka was forced to ban 69 vessels from various Russian shipping companies included on the US sanctions list from entering its ports.

"Back then, one of the ships affected was the Ursa Major, which was transporting equipment for the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant. No similar incidents have been recorded since," he said, stressing that "unilateral Western sanctions are counterproductive, primarily for those who initiate and enforce them."

"As for interbank payments outside the SWIFT system, we have made some progress in talks with the Bangladeshi side. A new round of consultations between the finance ministries of the two countries will be held in the near future, following the election of a new government. The embassy is providing the necessary support in this process," Khozin added.

On February 12, Bangladesh will hold parliamentary elections and a national referendum. The vote will take place 18 months after the inauguration of the interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, who has governed the country since August 2024, following the resignation of the Awami League government and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina amid mass protests.