Staff Correspondent:

Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Aleksandr Mantytsky today said Russia will continue to support Bangladesh in international arena.He made the comment as he made a courtesy call on Chief Adviser of the interim government Professor Dr. Muhammad Yunus at the state guest house Jamuna here.During the meeting, he discussed the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant, which Bangladesh is building with technical and financial support from Russia, and increased cooperation on food security, energy exploration and science and technology.Chief Adviser Prof Yunus recalled Russia’s role during the Bangladesh’s glorious War of Independence and its vital mine cleaning operations in the Chattogram Port.He called the Russian envoy to increase imports from Bangladesh, including products other than the readymade garments, which constitute some 90 percent of Dhaka’s exports to Russia.”We need to diversify our exports,” he said.Ambassador Mantytsky said Russia is a key economic partner of Bangladesh as it exports vital food grains and fertiliser to Bangladesh.Last year, Russia exported over 2.3 million tonnes of wheat to Bangladesh and this year the shipment crossed two million tonnes.The state-run Russian energy company Gazprom, he said, has expressed interest to explore five more gas wells in the island of Bhola and more inlands.The Russian envoy said the construction of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant is at the final stage and is expected to go into operation next year.He said Russia was also interested in exporting LNG to Bangladesh.The chief adviser also stressed widening economic and education cooperation and people-to- people ties between the two nation.