Bangladesh Prime Minister For Intensifying Russo-Bangladeshi Relations

Prime Minister Khaled Zia of Bangladesh has come out for exchanging visits with Russia at a high level. This will give an impetus to Russo-Bangladeshi relations. I am sure that visits and cooperation at a high political level will boost bilateral relations, said Khaled Zia who took office as prime minister after her Nationalist Party of Bangladesh won the parliamentary elections on October 1. The two countries' governments, she said Friday in her first interview as prime minister, have agreed to sign a package of agreements on cooperation in trade, culture, education, healthcare and consulate services. The sides, the premier stressed, have already swapped adequate draft agreements. Khaled Zia said that bilateral friendly ties, which have survived the test of time, were based, in particular, on common positions on many international issues, cooperation in ensuring peace and security in the world. Bangladesh and the Russian Federation have been consistently cooperating in UN peace-keeping operations, disarmament, including nuclear, fight against international terrorism and that in the social and economic area, noted the head of government. Russia, in her words, is already rendering huge assistance to the republic in the construction of a thermo-power plant, geological development of oil and gas and in equipping the armed forces. Bangladesh hopes for Russia's assistance in developing the infrastructure, in particular, constructing the underground in Dacca. This will be a very important project whose realisation will help solve the transport problem of the capital, the premier stressed.