Russia, Bangladesh Seek Concrete Cooperation Ahead of 55th Anniversary

Moscow — Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov welcomed Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman to Moscow, shortly after Rahman’s election as President of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly, and said Russia would support efforts to make the UN’s work more effective.

In his opening remarks during talks on June 8, Lavrov expressed satisfaction over Rahman’s visit to Moscow immediately after his election. He welcomed Rahman’s intention to make the work of the General Assembly more effective and to help restore the United Nations’ central coordinating role in world affairs.

Lavrov said Rahman has extensive experience within the UN system. He recalled that both of them had worked at the United Nations during the same period, carrying out responsibilities assigned by their respective governments.

Lavrov said Russia expects meaningful results from the 81st session of the General Assembly. As the future president of the session, Rahman will naturally have to focus on a wide range of issues in world politics, he said.

Noting that the international situation is becoming increasingly tense and complex, Lavrov said the current global environment requires the maximum use of diplomatic skill. He added that Russia would do everything possible to support Rahman in those efforts.

Lavrov said the talks would include an exchange of views on situations in various regions, issues on the UN agenda and current matters in world politics. He also said Russia wanted to use Rahman’s visit to further advance bilateral relations between Moscow and Dhaka.

Russia and Bangladesh have a good history of relations, Lavrov said, noting that the two countries will mark the 55th anniversary of their relations in January 2027.

He said Russia wants to mark the upcoming anniversary not only formally, but with concrete agreements and practical cooperation. Lavrov said the two sides would discuss possible steps in trade, the economy, culture, defense and military-technical cooperation.

The meeting is expected to give fresh momentum to Russia-Bangladesh relations at both multilateral and bilateral levels.