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Duma OKs indefinite presence of Russian troops in Syria
Fri Oct 7, 2016 7:55PM
The lower house of the Russian parliament has ratified an agreement with the Damascus government that allows Russian troops to stay indefinitely in Syria as Moscow is battling foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants in the conflict-ridden Arab country.
On Friday, all 446 lawmakers in the State Duma voted unanimously to approve the deal, which allows Russia to keep its forces at the Hmeimim air base in Syria's western coastal province of Latakia for as long as it wants.
Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov addressed the legislators, stating that the “draft federal law effectively regulates force composition and structure, conditions of its deployment and functions.”
He added that the Russian-Syrian agreement on an open-ended deployment also addresses the “issues of the operation of the Russian Armed Forces air group on the territory of Syria.”
The accord was penned in August 2015, one month before the Russian air campaign against militant positions in Syria began at the request of the Damascus government. Russian President Vladimir Putin then submitted the agreement to the State Duma on August 9, 2016.
Under the deal, the Russian air force will operate inside Syria upon the orders of the air group commander and in coordination with Syrian authorities.
Russia also reserves the right to bring into or remove from Syria any munitions or military equipment necessary to accomplish the air force's tasks and provide the safety of its personnel. The agreement would be terminated once one of the sides notifies the other of its desire to do so.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/1...r-base-Latakia
Fri Oct 7, 2016 7:55PM
The lower house of the Russian parliament has ratified an agreement with the Damascus government that allows Russian troops to stay indefinitely in Syria as Moscow is battling foreign-sponsored Takfiri militants in the conflict-ridden Arab country.
On Friday, all 446 lawmakers in the State Duma voted unanimously to approve the deal, which allows Russia to keep its forces at the Hmeimim air base in Syria's western coastal province of Latakia for as long as it wants.
Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov addressed the legislators, stating that the “draft federal law effectively regulates force composition and structure, conditions of its deployment and functions.”
He added that the Russian-Syrian agreement on an open-ended deployment also addresses the “issues of the operation of the Russian Armed Forces air group on the territory of Syria.”
The accord was penned in August 2015, one month before the Russian air campaign against militant positions in Syria began at the request of the Damascus government. Russian President Vladimir Putin then submitted the agreement to the State Duma on August 9, 2016.
Under the deal, the Russian air force will operate inside Syria upon the orders of the air group commander and in coordination with Syrian authorities.
Russia also reserves the right to bring into or remove from Syria any munitions or military equipment necessary to accomplish the air force's tasks and provide the safety of its personnel. The agreement would be terminated once one of the sides notifies the other of its desire to do so.
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2016/1...r-base-Latakia
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