Russia and Bangladesh have agreed to build a nuclear power plant (NPP) near the capital of the Asian country – Dhaka. The total cost of the project is estimated at about $12.65 billion, the project is being implemented by the Russian state company Rosatom. The parties agreed on the final details of the deal, although they could not agree on a payment system for a long time. At the first stage, Russia will receive about $300 million for its nuclear services, however, payment will be made in Chinese yuan, writes Bloomberg with reference to representatives of Bangladesh.
The nuclear power plant will appear 140 km from Dhaka. It is assumed that it will fully be able to meet the growing demand for electricity in the country. The publication notes that the Russian representatives at first refused to pay in yuan, as they were afraid to lose part of the funds during the currency conversion and demanded payment in rubles, but the representatives of Bangladesh insisted on their own. The project will be implemented by the Russian state company Rosatom, one of the few state majors that has so far escaped Western sanctions. She also provided Bangladesh with a loan for the construction of a nuclear power plant.
At the same time, despite the agreements, the Russian side continues to insist on opening a separate, direct channel for paying for goods and services for Russian companies. According to the agency, the Russian authorities want direct contacts between the regulators of Bangladesh and Russia in order to avoid attracting third currencies in the future. According to the agency, Dhaka has not yet responded to Russian proposals.
The agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant between Russia and Bangladesh is taking place against the backdrop of attempts by the G7 countries to limit the influence of civilian nuclear power on the Russian market. At the end of the G7 summit in Japan, the countries agreed to resist Russian nuclear energy, which "still remains an important source of income for Moscow and helps it continue its military aggression against Ukraine."
Western countries did not impose sanctions against Russian uranium and nuclear fuel due to too high dependence. However, following the summit in Japan, they agreed to increase the production of nuclear fuel and uranium mining, which should reduce dependence on Russia. Some Russian partners have already voluntarily begun to reduce dependence: Bulgaria, Finland and Slovakia have refused or reduced their fuel supplies from Russia. However, other countries, on the contrary, taking advantage of the vulnerable position of Russia, increase the supply of Russian fuel and increase cooperation – such as Hungary and Turkey.