Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina Thursday urged Gazprom, Russian state-run oil and gas exploration company, to conduct more seismic surveys in Bangladesh for exploration of more gas.
Sheikh Hasina made the request when a delegation of Gazprom International, led by its CEO Valeriy Gulev, called on the PM at her official Ganobhaban residence in the city, reports BSS.
Briefing journalists after the meeting, PM's Press Secretary AKM Shamim Chowdhury said the Gazprom has proposed to work with Bangladesh's state- run BAPEX for exploration of gas in the country's plain lands, hill tracts and offshore areas.
The Gazprom CEO apprised the PM that his company has been assisting BAPEX in developing 10 gas fields in the country side by side increasing 20 percent production of gas in Bangladesh.
Besides, he said, two more gas fields in the country would be developed by the Gazprom along with BAPEX.
Valeriy mentioned that he would request his government to give more scholarships to Bangladeshi students in Russia in the fields of higher education in the gas and medical sectors.
The Gazprom high official proposed gas exploration in joint venture with BAPEX in the third country outside Bangladesh like Myanmar.
Congratulating Sheikh Hasina on her assumption of office for the second consecutive term, the Gazprom CEO also highly praised the dynamic and visionary leadership of PM for carrying out massive development in the country.
Welcoming the joint-venture proposal of Gazprom with the BAPEX for exploration of gas in the country, the PM said such a joint-venture initiative could take place.
In this connection, she said although there may be some resource or financial constraints for the BAPEX, it has sufficient manpower and capability to work in the sector.
Sheikh Hasina, however, suggested that the joint-venture proposal for exploration of gas in the third country could be considered in the next phase.
Recalling the contribution of Russia during the War of Liberation in 1971, the PM said Russia is a time-tested friend of Bangladesh as they had assisted the country to reconstruct the war-ravaged economy and a number of their men laid down their lives during the freedom struggle.
State minister for Power, Energy and Mineral Resources Nasrul Hamid, PMO senior secretary Abul Kamal Azad, Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia Dr SM Saiful Haque, Russian Ambassador to Bangladesh Alexander A Nikolaev and Petrobangla chairman Dr Hossain Mansur were present.
