Terming Bangladesh a “longtime friend and good partner,” Russian President Vladimir Putin has said his country will collaborate with Bangladesh in line with the principles of equality, mutual respect and consideration of each other’s interests.

As part of the cooperation under the Rooppur project, he said Russia is training highly qualified specialists for the Bangladeshi nuclear sector.

More than 80 Bangladeshi students who seek careers in the nuclear sector have already completed their studies at Russian universities, and their number will continue to grow, Putin said.

"In fact, we are not simply building a nuclear power plant but creating an entire nuclear sector, a peaceful atomic industry in Bangladesh, and we are doing it together with you," he said.

On Thursday, Russian President Putin and Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina took part, via videoconference, in an official ceremony marking the delivery of nuclear fuel from Russia to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant’s Unit 1.

The Russian president said this flagship project meets the interests of the two countries and helps strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation further, according to the English copy of his speech provided by the Russian side on Friday.

"Of course, it is making a real and considerable contribution to the Republic’s economic development and to strengthening its energy security," he said.

"Our country was among the first to recognise the young republic and was actively involved in developing its economy, while also helping to build major industrial and energy facilities that continue to benefit the people of Bangladesh," Putin said.

As a recognised global leader in peaceful nuclear energy, he said, Rosatom builds nuclear power plants utilising the most advanced engineering solutions and technologies based on the most stringent safety standards as well as on environmental and conservation requirements.

The Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant was built and prepared for launch in strict compliance with the IAEA rules and recommendations.

He said the physical protection system for the plant is advanced and reliable. "We would like to thank the IAEA for their assistance in this project," he said.

Naturally, Putin said, Russia’s efforts are not limited to building the facility. "We will provide assistance to our Bangladeshi partners throughout the entire life cycle of the nuclear project, including our obligations for the long-term deliveries of reactor fuel, plant maintenance, and handling nuclear waste."

Since last year, an education and training centre for Bangladeshi personnel has been operating at the nuclear power plant.

Specialists that are trained there will oversee basic technological processes at the plant, with over 1,000 Bangladeshi citizens having already completed their training.

"Their essential professional skills and knowledge will allow them to be employed not only in the nuclear industry but also in many other economic sectors in Bangladesh," said the Russian president.

"Now, as part of our ceremony, we will hand over to our Bangladeshi colleagues a certificate of delivery of Russian nuclear fuel to the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant’s Energy Unit 1. Upon this, Rooppur will receive the official nuclear facility status," he added.

President Putin expressed her gratitude to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina for her personal attention to the bilateral cooperation — both in peaceful nuclear energy and all other key areas.

Other attendees included International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi; Director General of the State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev; Minister of Science and Technology of Bangladesh Yeafesh Osman; Rooppur Project Director Shawkat Akbar; and Andrei Petrov, the CEO of a general contractor building the Rooppur NPP.

The State Corporation Rosatom is building the nuclear power plant in the Pabna district under an intergovernmental agreement, signed in 2011.

The plant will consist of two generation III+ reactors with a total capacity of 2,400 megawatts.

Over 20,000 specialists, including over 4,000 Russian citizens, are working at the Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant construction site.