Foreign Minister (FM) Dr Khalilur Rahman and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov are set to hold talks in Moscow today (Monday), focusing on a range of bilateral, regional and global issues as the two countries seek to further strengthen their 'longstanding and mutually beneficial' partnership, officials said, reports UNB.
The discussions are expected to cover cooperation in key sectors, including energy, trade and investment, science and technology, education, skilled migration, and people-to-people exchanges, a diplomatic source said.
On September 7-8, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov paid a working visit to Bangladesh and discussed the state of bilateral relations and their development prospects.
Bangladesh and Russia share interest in continuing their political dialogue and intensifying mutually beneficial trade and economic cooperation.
Foreign Minister Dr Khalilur left for Russia on Sunday morning. Prime Minister's Foreign Affairs Adviser Humaiun Kobir is accompanying the FM, a senior official at the Ministry said.
Although the Russian side had announced the visit much earlier, Dhaka officially confirmed it only after his departure.
This is the FM's first official visit since being elected President of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.
Earlier, Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova announced the three-day official visit by the Bangladesh Foreign Minister.
"At the invitation of FM Sergey Lavrov, FM Khalilur Rahman will pay an official visit to Russia on June 7-9," she said.
The spokesperson said the two ministers will hold talks on current bilateral and international issues on June 8.
"A special emphasis will be placed on our interaction at the UN, as Khalilur Rahman has been elected President of the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly," the Russian side said.
According to the Russian Embassy in Dhaka, the programme also includes meetings with top officials from the Federation Council, Rosatom State Corporation, and a number of other organisations.
The Foreign Minister is scheduled to return home on June 9.
