POBNEWS24, Dhaka, Mar 8, 2022 : Lithuania will not give corona vaccine to Bangladesh for not voting in favor of the UN resolution condemning Russia. The prime minister’s spokeswoman Rasa Jacqueline, a member of the European Union (EU), said in a statement. Lithuanian National Radio and Television reported the information, citing a spokesman’s statement.
The UN General Assembly voted on March 2 to condemn Russia’s attack on Ukraine and call for an end to the war.
35 countries including Bangladesh, India and China did not vote for that proposal. They all voted ‘Abstain’ (neither for nor against) in favor of the proposal. The proposal was finally adopted by 141-5 votes. According to diplomatic sources, Bangladesh and its European allies, including the United States, have expressed dissatisfaction with Bangladeshi diplomats and officials for not voting in favor of the resolution. In the meantime, Lithuania has announced that it will not send vaccines to Bangladesh.
According to a report published on the official Lithuanian Radio and Television (LRT) website, the Lithuanian government decided to send 4,44,600 doses of Pfizer vaccine to Bangladesh earlier this week. But as Bangladesh did not support the condemnation motion against Russia, on March 3, Lithuania canceled its decision to send vaccines to Bangladesh.
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen explained why Bangladesh did not vote for the resolution at the UN. Responding to a question from reporters last Sunday, he said, “If you read the words of the proposal, you will see that they do not fall into the call for a ceasefire.” That is to blame someone. ‘
“We are a land of peace,” he said. We want peace. We don’t like war anywhere. As we have said, we are deeply concerned about what is happening in this accident (Russia’s invasion of Ukraine). At the same time, we hope that everyone will abide by the UN Charter. ‘
The Foreign Minister said, “We have said that Bangladesh always wants to resolve all issues peacefully through dialogue. This dispute should also be resolved peacefully. ‘
Russia will take potatoes from Bangladesh: Meanwhile, when Lithuania is dissatisfied, the Russian embassy in Dhaka said that Russia will take potatoes from Bangladesh. Russia’s ban on potato imports from Bangladesh was lifted on March 5.
According to the Russian embassy, Russia and the Eurasian Economic Union (EU) have decided to lift the embargo on the basis of information provided by the relevant authorities in Bangladesh in order to prevent violations of phytosanitary requirements. Russian Ambassador to Dhaka Alexander Mantitsky, Minister of Commerce Tipu Munshi, Minister of Agriculture. A number of Bangladeshi products have been discussed with Abdur Razzak.
