The Russian government has published a list of more than 30 friendly and neutral countries. On Saturday (September 23), the Russian Embassy in Dhaka conveyed this information in a message.

These countries' banks and brokers have been approved by Moscow. Bangladesh is among the names on this list.

The Embassy stated that these countries will be allowed to trade in the Russian currency market alongside the derivatives market from their respective financial institutions.

The list of countries approved by the Russian government includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Algeria, Bangladesh, Bahrain, Brazil, Venezuela, Vietnam, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Iran, Qatar, China, Cuba, Malaysia, Morocco, Mongolia, Oman, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Thailand, Turkey, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.

In the list of friendly and neutral countries eligible for trading in the Russian currency and derivatives markets, Bangladesh's name has been included by the Russian government.

After the Ukraine crisis, the countries that have imposed sanctions on Moscow are considered "unfriendly" by Russia. Among the countries that have secured a place on the list of friendly and neutral countries, many are from Eastern Asia, which were once part of the Soviet Union. Many of these countries have long-standing friendly relations with Russia.

Before attending the G-20 summit in Delhi, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov visited Dhaka on September 7th. During his visit, Lavrov said, "Despite the pressure from Western countries, Bangladesh has maintained its independent foreign policy."

After a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina the next day and paying his respects at the National Martyrs' Memorial in Dhanmondi No. 32, he stated, "After India in South Asia, Bangladesh is Russia's second-largest trading partner. In recent years, trade between the two countries has exceeded $2 billion and in 2022, it reached $3 billion. This year, bilateral trade has decreased in both countries, and the intergovernmental commission of the two countries is working on it."

The next day, after a courtesy call with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Russian Foreign Minister paid his respects at the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi before departing for Delhi in the afternoon.