Bangladesh is actively discussing plans with Russia to significantly enhance manpower cooperation, aiming to send up to 100,000 workers to the country within the next year.

Foreign Minister Dr. Khalilur Rahman placed this proposal during a bilateral meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow on Monday and the Russian authorities have agreed to work on the initiative expeditiously.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, nearly 10,000 Bangladeshis are currently working in Russia and both sides are expected to complete the necessary formalities for the new expansion soon.

During their high-level talks, the two foreign ministers discussed recruiting more manpower from Bangladesh for safe and secure jobs, emphasizing the need for an early conclusion of all pending MoUs and agreements, including a readmission agreement and a human resource agreement.

Dr. Khalilur also requested the safe repatriation of a number of Bangladeshis currently stranded in Russia, a matter Foreign Minister Lavrov assured his government would give full consideration.

The bilateral meeting covered the entire gamut of bilateral relations, alongside wider engagement and cooperation in regional and international forums, including the United Nations.

Foreign Minister Lavrov warmly congratulated the Bangladesh Foreign Minister for being elected as the President of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), prompting Dr. Khalilur to thank Russia for its vital support toward his UNGA Presidency candidature.

The two leaders fondly recollected that their personal friendship began four decades ago when they served as representatives of their respective countries to the United Nations.

Dr. Khalilur recalled the historic contribution of the former USSR during Bangladesh’s Liberation War, noting that the USSR was one of the first countries to recognize Bangladesh.

Looking ahead, both foreign ministers expressed excitement for the upcoming 55th anniversary of their diplomatic relations in 2027, with Minister Lavrov reiterating Russia's vow to widen and strengthen bilateral ties.

To address economic ties, both sides agreed that the current trade volume between Bangladesh and Russia remains well below its actual potential.

Dr. Khalilur emphasized the prospect of rapidly increasing Bangladeshi exports, particularly readymade garments and pharmaceuticals, to the Russian market.

To facilitate this, he requested Duty-Free Quota-Free (DFQF) market access for Bangladeshi products and urged Russia to take steps toward a fast-track registration process for these goods.

Furthermore, he requested Russian support to help Bangladesh conclude a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with the Eurasia Economic Commission (EEC), which currently comprises five members: Russia, Belarus, Armenia, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.

The Russian side welcomed these trade initiatives and extended a proposal to host a business delegation from Bangladesh in the coming weeks.

Investment and development sectors were also heavily featured in the discussions.

The Foreign Minister requested Russia to invest in Bangladesh’s Special Economic Zones and Hi-Tech parks, focusing on emerging sectors such as light-to-heavy engineering, food and agro-processing, petrochemicals, steel manufacturing, and IT.

Taking stock of ongoing bilateral cooperation in industry, power and energy, agriculture, research and technology, culture, education, tourism, transport, and defense both leaders resolved to deepen engagements across all these fields.

Dr. Khalilur specifically thanked the government of Russia for the fuel loading of the first unit of the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant and requested his counterpart’s full support in expediting the commissioning of the second unit as planned.

Additionally, he sought Russian support for Bangladesh to become an official member of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), a request to which the Russian Foreign Minister replied positively.

Technology cooperation, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), emerged prominently during the official visit.

The Bangladesh Foreign Minister proposed that a Russian delegation visit Bangladesh to explore the application of AI in agriculture and health, a proposal the Russian authorities readily accepted.

The Russian authorities also expressed a keen interest in assisting Bangladesh with the preparation of its national AI policy and the establishment of institutions of excellence in AI.

Moving to regional humanitarian issues, the two ministers discussed the safe, secure, and dignified repatriation of forcibly displaced Rohingya people from Bangladesh to their homeland, with Foreign Minister Lavrov indicating that the Russian government would be willing to help find a lasting resolution to the crisis.

Rounding off the successful meeting, Dr. Khalilur thanked the Russian Foreign Minister for the warm welcome in Moscow and invited him to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.

The Foreign Minister, accompanied by Humaiun Kobir, the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Foreign Affairs, is scheduled to return home on Tuesday, wrapping up his three-day official visit.

With Inputs from UNB