Minister,

Friends,

I am delighted to be meeting with you again, this time in Dhaka. I remember your visit to Moscow in 2019 and our ensuing meeting on the sidelines of the international conference titled “Central and South Asia: Regional Interconnectedness. Challenges and Opportunities” in Tashkent in 2021. Indeed, a visit by the Russian Foreign Minister to Bangladesh is overdue. I am confident that we will lay the groundwork for stepping up our contacts.

You mentioned the role that my country played when Bangladesh was in the process of gaining independence, such as the support provided by the Soviet Union in 1971 to the popular struggle and political and economic assistance to the newly formed state. Since then, our relations have consistently been based on the principles of equality, mutual respect, and consideration of each other's interests.

I am positive that today's talks will reaffirm this trend and further strengthen it.Top of Form