Indian Ocean should not be an arena of rivalry: Russian ambassador to Dhaka

Russian ambassador in Dhaka talked with The Asian Echoes. In his interviwe, he described the relationship between two countries, South Asian politics, Medias role in Ukrain-Russia war and so more. This interviwe taken by our Editor in Diplomacy Abu Sufian.

 

How would you describe the current state of Russia-Bangladesh relations?

Moscow and Dhaka have been sharing strong bonds of friendship since the very birth of Bangladesh. In political sphere, our countries have no unsettled disputes or contradictions. Russia values Bangladesh’s well-balanced position on Ukrainian crisis. Our countries exchange support over mutually important initiatives within the UN, interact on such multilateral platforms as the ASEAN Regional Forum, Asia-Europe Meeting, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, Non-Aligned Movement and the Indian Ocean Rim Association.

Economic cooperation is an important pillar in our bilateral ties. Bangladesh is Russia’s second largest trade partner in South Asia with trade turnover exceeding 2 billion US dollars. Our country is top supplier of specific commodities such as agricultural goods and fertilizers. In 2024, agricultural exports from Russia grew by 44%, exceeding 1 billion US dollars.  

As one of the world leaders in nuclear technologies, Russia is ready to help developing nations to respond to their growing energy demand providing safe and clean energy solutions. Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is the flagship project of the Russia-Bangladesh bilateral relations. At the moment, preparations for the physical start-up of the first unit are already nearing the finish line. Thus, we are optimistic about running the first unit by the end of this year.

Are there any upcoming high-level visits or bilateral agreements we should watch for?

In March, 2025, the meeting between Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk and Bangladesh’s Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus took place on the sidelines of the Annual Conference of Boao Forum for Asia held in China. In April, Moscow welcomed Bangladesh Army Chief Waker-Uz-Zaman. We hope that such high-level contacts will be maintained in future.

 

As Rooppur NPP project is underway, visits of top officials of Rosatom State Corporation take place regularly. In February, Alexey Likhachev, Director General of the corporation paid a visit to Bangladesh. Andrey Petrov, First Deputy Director General of Rosatom and head of ASE, the main contractor of Rooppur NPP project, came to your country three times this year. Definitely, there will be more visits of the kind.

How does Russia view Bangladesh’s growing strategic ties with countries like US, and Western world?

Russia respects the sovereign right of Bangladesh to develop friendly relations with any country if it corresponds the nation’s interests. It is extremely important to maintain ties with a wide range of international actors in order to enjoy the benefits of the multipolar world. Unlike certain countries, Russia never demands from its partners to sacrifice their relations with any nation.

Given the current geopolitical tensions globally, how does Russia see its role in South Asia, particularly in relation to Bangladesh?

There is no doubt that South Asia is influenced by geopolitical transformations in global power discourse. Russia, as a friend of all South Asian countries, is interested in developing mutually beneficial partnership with them on the basis of equality and respect. We advocate fostering collaboration with South Asian countries in order to promote peace and security in the region.

We also proceed from the assumption that the Indian Ocean should not be an arena of rivalry, but a zone of cooperation between states. Unfortunately, we have been witnessing persistent attempts by extra-regional forces to divide the states of the region under the guise of the “free and open Indo-Pacific region” concept. The example of its destructive, divisive potential is the establishment of such “interest groups” as QUAD and AUKUS.

Bangladesh’s strategic location, its vibrant economy and immense labour force makes it a prospective partner within the region. Russia is eager to further advance relations with Bangladesh in all spheres.  

What is Russia’s position on Bangladesh’s aspirations to join BRICS or other international forums?

BRICS serves as a platform for dialogue and cooperation among emerging economies rather than as a formal international organization with set membership criteria. The decision on the membership of a country is negotiated in every particular case.

We highly appreciate Bangladesh’s interest in BRICS. The country has already joined the New Development Bank and has participated in BRICS summits in 2023 and 2024. Russia hails further steps for the country’s greater role in the group as well as other international forums and hopes that Bangladesh will stay committed to strengthening cooperation of Global South countries.

You’ve been serving in Bangladesh for a while – what has your personal experience been like? What has surprised or impressed you most about the country?

Bangladesh is a very interesting place to work. It is almost one year since I have started my journey here. Throughout this time, I have noticed that your country’s greatest value is its people, who are very friendly and hospitable. As a Muslim-majority nation, Bangladesh cherishes its religious traditions and preserves family values.

I had many chances to get acquainted with the country’s vivid and unique culture, art and architecture, as well as centuries-old history of Bengal. I appreciated places of interest and outstanding nature. Bangladesh could be proud of such handicrafts like Rikshaw art and Jamdani weaving, that have been recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

While visiting the memorial to a Soviet sailor in Chattogram, known as Redkin Point, I was impressed by thoughtful attention of Bangladeshi people to the history of our bilateral relations, as well as to the contribution and support of the USSR to Bangladesh after getting independence. It is wonderful to note that our countries continue working in the spirit of friendship and mutual respect.

What message would you like to share with the people of Bangladesh about the future of Russia-Bangladesh relations?

We have all the prerequisites for the successful development of our ties in a variety of spheres. As I have mentioned earlier, our political cooperation is smooth as it is not challenged by any contradictions. We have similar positions on the key issues of international agenda, such as countering terrorism, cybercrime, neocolonialism and glorification of Nazism, preventing arms race, including in outer space. Our nations share traditional values such as patriotism and strong family links. Hundreds of Bangladeshi students are studying in Russia. By the way, the number of scholarships has been increased to 200 for the next academic year. In other words, there is a fertile soil for our bilateral relations to flourish.

Lastly, do you have any message to Bangladeshi media regarding Ukraine-Russia war?

When covering the conflict in Ukraine, Bangladeshi media are mostly influenced by Western sources. Due to the lack of Bangladeshi correspondents in the conflict zone, the information is taken from European and American news outlets, while Russian news agencies such as TASS, Sputnik or RT are disregarded. For an unbiased and objective approach it is important to use various sources of information, including Russian media, press statements of Russia’s governmental and military officials, data provided by local authorities, opinion articles by Russian experts, without focusing on Western media alone.

Russia’s position on this conflict has always been clear. Our President and Minister of Foreign Affairs have reiterated in multiple occasions that in order to achieve a long-term peace it is crucial to solve the root causes of the confrontation. First of all, the Russian-speaking population of Ukraine cannot be deprived of their right to determine their own destiny. And it is absolutely unacceptable for Russia that its vital legitimate security interests are ignored and even violated.