Russia summons Bangladesh envoy for blocking entry of ships

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - Russia on Tuesday summoned Bangladesh's ambassador Kamrul Ahsan to protest Dhaka's decision to block the entry of Russian ships into Bangladeshi ports.

The Foreign Ministry said the envoy was told that "this step does not correspond to the nature of traditionally friendly bilateral relations" and may negatively affect the prospects of bilateral cooperation in various fields.

On Feb. 17, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said several dozen Russian vessels had been banned from calling at the ports of Bangladesh.

According to Zakharova, the step was taken under the threat of US sanctions.

She called the incident "another example of this intimidation" and regretted that it was not "the first time that Dhaka succumbed to Washington’s relentless pressure."

"By giving in to outright blackmail, it risks making the future of traditionally friendly Russia-Bangladesh relations contingent on the whims of a third country pursuing its own geopolitical goals," Zakharova said.

She stressed that Russia expects the leadership of Bangladesh "to find the strength to assert its national interests more resolutely" as it is "in their interest to develop a mutually beneficial partnership with Russia, which has come to the country’s aid more than once in different periods of its history."