Russia proposes lower-cost urea supply
Russia has reaffirmed its commitment to supporting Bangladesh’s food security and strengthening bilateral trade, expressing interest in supplying urea fertiliser at a lower price alongside a range of essential food commodities under government-to-government (G2G) arrangements.
The issues were discussed during a courtesy call by a Russian delegation, led by Charge d’Affaires of the Russian Federation in Bangladesh Vyacheslav Sentyurin, on Commerce, Industries, Textiles and Jute Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir at the Ministry of Commerce in the Bangladesh Secretariat on Tuesday.
Industries Secretary Abdun Naser Khan and other senior officials attended the meeting, according to a ministry press release.
The two sides reviewed the longstanding friendly relations between Bangladesh and Russia and explored ways to further strengthen their growing economic partnership.
Discussions focused on food security, agricultural cooperation, fertiliser supply and expanding government-to-government trade.
The commerce minister highly appreciated Russia’s continued support in ensuring Bangladesh’s food security through the regular supply of wheat and Muriate of Potash (MOP) fertiliser. Describing Russia as a “trusted friend” of Bangladesh, Muktadir expressed confidence that bilateral trade
and economic cooperation would continue to expand in the years ahead.
During the meeting, the Russian delegation proposed supplying around 280,000 metric tonnes of urea fertiliser to the Bangladesh Chemical Industries Corporation (BCIC) through JSC FEC Prodintorg under a G2G arrangement.
According to the delegation, Russia has offered the fertiliser at US$10 per metric tonne below the prices Bangladesh currently pays to other exporting countries. The delegation said the proposal would help ensure a reliable supply of fertiliser while reducing Bangladesh’s import costs.
The meeting also reviewed opportunities to enhance cooperation under the existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) and Russia’s JSC FEC Prodintorg for the supply of essential commodities.
The Russian side also expressed its willingness to export sunflower oil, yellow peas, chickpeas, red lentils, green lentils and other essential food items to Bangladesh, reaffirming its commitment to supporting the country’s food security and maintaining market stability.
Welcoming Russia’s interest in expanding trade, the commerce minister said Bangladesh would continue to promote bilateral trade, investment and broader economic cooperation on the basis of mutual benefit.
Both sides agreed to maintain regular communication to strengthen bilateral trade, encourage greater investment and deepen the economic partnership between the two countries.
