Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Thursday said the flagship joint project, the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant (RNPP) in Bangladesh, is being rhythmically implemented in accordance with the schedule and the first nuclear fuel is expected to be delivered and loaded in October.
The Russian Foreign Minister said this during a joint press briefing with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dr AK Abdul Momen at a local hotel in the capital immediately after his arrival in Dhaka on a two-day visit.
“All the necessary materials were delivered on time. We have guarantees from both companies involved in this project that everything will be done on time”, said the Russian Foreign Minister while talked about the construction of the RNPP.
In a reply to question, he said, the agreement on the construction of the RNPP is absolutely transparent. It follows all the requirements of the IAEA and our experience, which we use in similar projects in other countries.
“As for the delivery of fuel, the information we received from the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Sheikh Hasina indicates that this will happen in October. There is no secret or mystery about this.”
At the briefing, Lavrov also said, bilateral relations with Bangladesh are based on the principles of friendship, equality and mutual respect. Both Bangladesh and Russia are agreed to intensify bilateral contacts in all areas.
“There are good prospects for the continuation of traditionally good ties in the gas sector. LLC "Gazprom International Limited" participated in the drilling of more than twenty wells and is ready to continue this work”, he said.
Lavrov said, “We are interested in joining the implementation of the Bangladeshi project to create a remote sensing system for the Earth.”
Mentioning that discussions were also held on Rohingya issue, the Russian Foreign Minister said, “We support progress towards reaching agreements within the framework of a specially created consultative working group between Bangladesh and Myanmar.”
Replying to a question on the payment system, the Russian Foreign Minister said, “I think we are rapidly moving towards a variety of payment systems based on national currencies, rather than on the currencies of the countries that use them as weapons.”
