Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev officially handed over the certificate of the delivery of the first batch of nuclear fuel to the Rooppur nuclear power plant (NPP) to Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Thursday.
"Please, present the certificate to the prime minister of Bangladesh," Likhachev said at the ceremony of delivering nuclear fuel to the Rooppur NPP.
Addressing the ceremony via videoconferessing, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the construction of the Rooppur nuclear power plant (NPP) in Bangladesh is proceeding according to the schedule.
"The construction of the NPP is proceeding on schedule. Every day, more than 20,000 people are involved in the construction, most of whom, as we have already said, are Bangladeshi citizens," Putin said in a video conference during a ceremony marking the delivery of nuclear fuel to the facility's first unit.
He also congratulated Bangladesh on the new stage of construction of its first NPP, saying that the flagship project meets both countries' interests, helps foster deeper bilateral cooperation and contributes to economic development and energy security.
"Bangladesh is our long-time friend and good partner, with whom we cooperate on the principles of equality, mutual respect and consideration of each other's interests," Putin added.
President of the Russian Federation also commented on the historical past of Russia-Bangladesh relations.
"The foundations of Russian-Bangladeshi relations were laid more than half a century ago, when in the early 1970s the Soviet Union supported the people of East Bengal in their struggle for independence and later in the formation of the new state of Bangladesh"
Currently, bilateral relations between Russia and Bangladesh are developing rapidly, especially in the field of nuclear energy. This is evidenced by the new NPP projects that are underway. These NPPs will significantly strengthen Bangladesh's energy sector and lay a solid foundation for further cooperation.