Russian Ambassador in Dhaka Alexander Nikolaev yesterday said the BNP had assured him that the political party would respect all the agreements related to Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant.
“Few weeks after the general elections in Bangladesh on January 5, it was conveyed to me by a quite prominent member of the standing committee of the party that the leadership of the party will fulfil all the obligations and agreements which were concluded between the two countries in recent years,” he said.
In reply to a query about discussion on the issue with the BNP, the Russian ambassador made the disclosure at a ‘Dcab Talks’ in the city.
Dhaka had signed a contract to build 1,000mw nuclear power plant at Rooppur in Pabna with the assistance from Moscow which had drawn attention inside and outside Bangladesh.
When asked about the recent comment of German Ambassador Albreicht Conze about not having nuclear power plant in Bangladesh, he said: “I must admit I was not happy to read the report on such statement by one of my colleagues.”
He said it was his guess that due to ‘commercial jealousy’, the German ambassador made the comment.
Nikolaev said 20 years back, German company Siemens entered into a contract with Iran to build a nuclear power plant, but it gave up the project which had been implemented by a Russian company later.
He also criticised the German ambassador, saying that they should talk with France which produces nuclear power and export it to Germany.
About the recent statement by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to have another nuclear power plant, he said it was the best answer to opinion of his German colleague.
Nikolaev said the German ambassador at a private meeting asked him what was the sense of constructing a single nuclear power plant in Bangladesh as “it cannot resolve all the energy problems in the country”.
In reply, he said: “I answered him who told you that it would be the single one.”
In the political front, he said Moscow, New Delhi and Beijing had congratulated the government after the January 5 election as unlike other Western countries, they have enough political wisdom not to impose their decisions on any country.
“Beijing, New Delhi and Moscow have enough political wise not to impose on anybody in the world and e.g. South Asia and Bangladesh in particular,” the Russian ambassador said.
“This is why the three countries congratulated the prime minister of Bangladesh with the results of election and certain western colleagues did not,” he said.
However, Indian Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh visited Bangladesh just before the election and discussed polls issue with the political leadership in the country and had a half-an-hour one-on-one meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
When asked about the Russian view on the January 5 election, the ambassador said: “I got sick of the question. It is absolutely out of my concern what the Bangladeshi people and main political stakeholders will decide to hold new election in five days, five weeks or five years.”
He said Russia recognised the results of the recent elections. “Of course we admit the election process could be improved, no doubt about it. But do you want to say that in Russian Federation itself, or in the United States, the election process could not be improved.”
He added: “The process in the States, in my point of view is just ridiculous.. But I don’t intend to impose my views what must be the election process in the United States.”
About defence purchase, he said Bangladesh is going to procure 16 Yak 130 training fighters with $1 billion loan from Russia.
He, however, declined to divulge any further information on its price and asked the journalists to contact with the Bangladesh Air Force to get more information.
Source: Dhaka Tribune
