Russia summons Bangladesh envoy over sanctioned ships dispute

Russia summoned the ambassador of Bangladesh on Tuesday to protest over Dhaka's decision to block the entry of Russian ships into Bangladeshi ports, reports Reuters. Bangladesh earlier this month banned dozens of Russian ships that have fallen under Western sanctions from entering its territorial waters, citing the need to comply with the restrictions. Russia's foreign ministry said in a statement it had told Bangladesh's ambassador in Moscow that the move was not in line with "traditionally friendly bilateral relations and may adversely affect the prospects for cooperation in various fields". Russia's state-owned nuclear energy organisation Rosatom is currently building Bangladesh's first nuclear power plant, due to start operating in 2024. Dhaka has asked Moscow to ensure it uses non-sanctioned ships for delivering equipment for the plant. (Reporting by Reuters Editing by Gareth Jones)