Efforts underway to ensure fuel supply to Rooppur Power Plant by Oct: Russian FM Lavrov

Blaming western sanctions for a supply chain disruption, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said both Dhaka and Moscow are actively working to address these issues to ensure that the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant receives its fuel by October.

"The two countries are also collaborating to find solutions for importing essential commodities from Russia to Bangladesh, and alternative currencies to the dollar are being explored for trade settlements," said the Russian minister at a joint press conference with his Bangladeshi counterpart in Dhaka on Thursday.

Lavrov arrived in Dhaka on Thursday on a two-day visit.

Bangladesh stands as Russia's second-largest trade partner in South Asia, and this trade relationship is expected to further strengthen over time, he added.

AK Abdul Momen mentioned that their discussions encompassed the Rohingya issue, bilateral trade and investment, the potential import of LNG from Russia, and the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine issue.

Momen received his Russian counterpart at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 6:17pm.

This is the first visit to Bangladesh by any Russian Foreign Minister since independence.

The Russian Foreign Minister will meet Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Friday morning.

He will visit Bangabandhu Memorial Museum at Dhanmondi before departure on Friday.

The two countries will discuss prospects for development of bilateral relations and exchange views on the most pressing regional and international issues, said the Russian Embassy in Dhaka on Tuesday.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Momen said Bangladesh would raise the Rohingya issue during the visit of Lavrov, the world's longest-serving foreign minister.

"We will have a bilateral meeting the day he arrives here. We have many bilateral issues to discuss. We have the Rohingya issue, too," FM Momen said.

The Russian Foreign Minister will attend the G20 Summit in New Delhi on 9-10 September after completing his visit to Bangladesh.

Lavrov was scheduled to visit Bangladesh on 23 November last year, mainly to attend the 22nd IORA Council of Ministers meeting, held in Dhaka on 24 November. But the visit was called off at the last minute.