Russia has congratulated Bangladesh on the 50th anniversary of Bangladesh-Russia diplomatic relations due tomorrow. In a statement today, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said the two countries have long been bound by friendly ties, the foundation of which was laid back in 1972, when the Soviet Union supported the national liberation struggle of the people of Bangladesh.

She said Russia was among the first countries to recognise the independence of Bangladesh. Bangladeshis remember the feat of Soviet military sailors, who cleared the waters of the port of Chittagong from mines and sunken ships in 1972-1974.

Today, Bangladesh and Russia maintain an active political dialogue, which is built on the principles of equality and mutual respect. Let me remind you that Bangladesh is Russia's major trading partner in South Asia, with bilateral trade exceeding $2.5 billion a year. Major economic projects are underway, including the construction of Rooppur,

Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant," Maria Zakharova said. The mechanism of the Intergovernmental Russian-Bangladesh Commission on Trade, Economic, Scientific and Technical Cooperation, established in 2017, functions well. Its latest meeting was held on December 15, 2021, the statement added.