DHAKA, October 27. /TASS/. Bangladesh is looking to Russia to strengthen its naval fleet and lessen dependence on Chinese armoury, a government minister has revealed.

First sights are on buying two off-the-shelf diesel-electric submarines and warplanes for its navy as the country seeks to distance itself from Chinese sourcing of around half its weapons inventory, Minister of Information Hasanul Haq Inu told Tass on Monday.

Defense sector partnership would not be limited to equipment, he said, eyeing Russian training for Bangladeshi military and technology transfer.

The two states are already cooperating successfully in the defense sector. In recent years, Russia has supplied Bangladesh with MiG-29 jets, three Mi-171Sh helicopters and several dozen armoured vehicles.

Partnership received new impetus when Prime Minister and Defense Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Moscow last year to agree a $1.5 billion loan for Bangladesh, mostly to buy Russian weapons for ground troops, air defence equipment and military transport helicopters.

No date has been fixed for further acquisition talks but Tass has already reported that the Bangladeshi navy expected government go-ahead to buy submarines by 2019.