Yan Vaslavskiy
Ph.D., Senior Lecturer, Chair of Political Theory,
MGIMO-University, Moscow, Russia
Russia and Bangladesh: common interests and areas for cooperation
Both being responsible members of the international community, Bangladesh and Russia have serious potential of developing their bilateral relations. These relations were first established on January 25, 1972, between Bangladesh and the USSR. Political contacts between the two countries, quite intensive before 1975, then suffered a period of relative stagnation.
In 1992, foreign ministries of the two countries signed a protocol on political consultations conducted successively in Moscow and Dhaka. Besides, the parties regularly organize meetings at different international forums, for instance, during sessions of the UN General Assembly. Main recent achievements include consular convention and common declaration on fighting international terrorism, both signed in 2007 during a visit of the advisor to the Government of Bangladesh (with the rank of minister) on foreign affairs Enam Ahmed Choudhuri, who is present here today at our workshop meeting. Bangladesh and Russia have to combat terrorism seriously, as terrorist attacks are, unfortunately, not a rare thing in both countries, resulting in casualties and damage, as well as putting threats to national security and political stability. Taking into account this fact, common measures on fighting terrorism and contributing to the respective efforts of the whole global community form a very perspective field for cooperation between Bangladesh and Russia.
Participation of Russian regions in bilateral cooperation is another promising area. In February 2004, a delegation of the trade ministry of the Republic of Tatarstan paid a visit to Bangladesh. Now there are opportunities to establish special ties between Kazan, capital of Tatarstan and informally called “third capital of Russia”, and Dhaka, as well as between the Russian city of Tver’ and Chittagong.
Russia (and, earlier, the USSR) has fulfilled a series of serious projects in Bangladesh aimed at developing energy industry, geological exploration, railway construction and sea transport, fishing industry, staff training. The port of Chittagong was cleaned of mines and sunk vessels; the largest thermal power plant in Bangladesh, Gorazal, was built; also Russia participated in the construction of an electronic equipment plant, eight radio stations, and in the exploration of four gas fields with proved reserves of about 90 billion cubic meters.
In 2008, trade volume between Russia and Bangladesh estimated 250 million US dollars, with Russia buying leather goods, jute, clothes, tobacco, tea, and other goods from Bangladesh, while Bangladesh has imported from Russia mainly mineral fertilizers and machinery. In May 2006, during a visit of a delegation from Bangladesh trade chambers, an agreement was signed with the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Energy industry is one of the key areas of economic cooperation. Alongside with Gorazal power plant, launched in 1999, Russian specialists participated in the construction of Siddirganj power plant, launched in 2004. Besides, Russian companies are willing to participate in the government-initiated program of the construction of 20 small power plants with the capacity of up to 30 megawatts. A project of the construction of the first nuclear power plant in Ruppur is under development. Common oil and gas projects are also a very promising cooperation field.
Bangladesh and Russia have been effectively cooperating in the areas of science and culture. Russian science and culture center is active in Dhaka, conducting hundreds of projects (exhibitions, performances, lectures, Russian movie demonstrations, etc.) annually. Many students from Bangladesh study in Russian universities. The work on a new agreement on scientific and cultural cooperation is currently under way.
Thus, bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Russia today have a serious potential in many areas, and there is clear need in the will from both parties to realize this potential and turn it into dynamic development of existing projects and the creation of new ones.
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