Putin sends deal with Syria on deploying Russian aviation to State Duma

The agreement was signed by the Russian and Syrian defense ministries in Damascus on August 26, 2015

MOSCOW, August 9. /TASS/. President Vladimir Putin has submitted to the lower house of parliament, the State Duma, for ratification a draft agreement with Syria on deployment of an aviation group of Russia’s Armed Forces on the territory of the Syrian Arab Republic.

The document was posted on Tuesday in the Duma's electronic database.

Deputy Defense Minister and State Secretary Nikolai Pankov has been appointed official representative of the president in charge of considering the agreement in the parliament.

The agreement was signed by the Russian and Syrian defense ministries in Damascus on August 26, 2015.

The document says that "deployment of a Russian aviation group on the Syrian territory is in line with the aims of maintaining peace and stability in the region, is of defensive nature and is not directed against any other countries."

The agreement envisages deployment of the Russian aviation group on the Hmeymim air base with all infrastructure free of charge. The duration of the agreement is not limited, and one of the two sides can cancel the agreement by notifying another side in the written format.

Original