Bangladesh
Russia-Bangladesh Moscow will stand by Bangladesh against possible US sanctions: Russian Ambassador
Dhaka, Dec 8: Aleksandr Mantytsky, the Russian ambassador in Dhaka, said that Russia will stand by Dhaka against any possible US or Western sanctions against Bangladesh.
While interacting with a group of journalists at the National Press Club (JPC), he said, "We are against any illegal activities here (Bangladesh). We will be here against any sanctions or actions by America or Western countries."
Mantytsky said his country does not recognize any sanctions imposed unilaterally by any Western country except those imposed by the UN Security Council.
The ambassador said that it is conceivable that such a situation will not arise. He said, "Let's see what happens." The Russian ambassador made this comment in response to a question about Moscow's position if any Western economic sanctions were imposed against Bangladesh.
When asked if Washington is interfering in the internal affairs of Bangladesh in view of the upcoming general elections, he said, "Yes, of course."
He noted that Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova had said last month that Moscow had repeatedly spoken out against efforts by the United States and its allies to influence Bangladesh's internal political process.
Mantytsky said that the then Soviet Union directly supported the liberation struggle of the Bengali nation in 1971 and the current Russia is committed to strengthen cooperation with Dhaka in a meaningful and respectful manner.
He said that despite the global reputation of Bangladesh's RMG sector, its access to the Russian market was low, but as many international brands decided to leave Russia, the Russian business community was looking for new suppliers, including Bangladesh, from 2022.
