Moscow is to lend Bangladesh 1.2 billion euros (1.6 billion dollars) in order for the South Asian country to buy Russian weapons and begin building its first nuclear power plant, dpa quoted the countries' leaders as saying Tuesday. Dhaka is particularly keen to buy combat helicopters and anti-aircraft guns, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said during a visit by his Bangladeshi counterpart Sheikh Hasina, according to the news agency Interfax. Russia was to provide Bangladesh with "the most modern technology" for the building of the power plant. Construction of the plant, which is to have two 1,000 megawatt reactors, is to start in early in 2014 around 200 kilometres north-west of Dhaka, Hasina said.