Criticising the United States and European Union, Russia has said the manner in which elections are conducted and organised in Bangladesh is quite clearly defined by national law.
"For our part, we support Dhaka in its desire to pursue an independent domestic and foreign policy that meets the interests of Bangladesh itself," Russian Foreign Ministry Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said during a briefing in Moscow on July 6.
She said they have taken note of the letters published in mid-June by six MEPs to the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell as well as a number of US congressmen to Secretary of State Antony Blinken, calling for assistance in conducting "free and fair" election in Bangladesh.
"I have never heard that Bangladesh is a member of the European Parliament before. I haven't heard that because it isn't. I didn't know that elections in Bangladesh were connected with the US State Department," said the Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman.
By the logic of the West, she said, it is the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and the US Secretary of State who should issue some kind of recommendation on the need to form a “neutral transitional government” in Bangladesh for the pre-election period.
"What is this but neocolonialism? What is this but a manifestation of the nature of metropolises and their attitude towards their colonies?" Zakharova said.
She said this is an attempt at blatant interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign state whose authorities, as they understand it, have not asked for advice on how to conduct elections.
"All those who are criticised by the United States or the European Union, as a rule, in the vast majority do not approach them, and ask them not to interfere in their internal affairs but to deal with their own problems at home," she mentioned.
