Russia’s upper house of the parliament has approved an agreement with the Damascus government that allows the Russian Air Force to stay indefinitely in Syria.  A total of 158 of 170 senators at the Federation Council voted in favor of the deal, which was unanimously passed last week by the State Duma, the lower house of the Russian legislature, with all 446 deputies present at the session supporting the accord.

• Russian senators have ratified an agreement that allows permanent deployment of the country’s air force in Syria, solidifying Moscow’s projection of power in the Middle East.
• The accord, which was signed in Damascus on August 26, 2015, permits the Russian Air Force to be stationed at Hmeimim Air Base in Syria’s coastal province of Latakia.
• Under the agreement, the Russian Air Force will act on the orders of its commander and in coordination with the Syrian authorities. The Russian personnel will also be granted diplomatic immunity.
• Additionally, Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the Federation Council Committee on Foreign Affairs, stressed that Russia’s presence in Syria “fully meets the objectives of maintaining peace and stability.”
• Since March 2011, Syria has been hit by militancy it blames on some Western states and their regional allies. Moscow and Washington support opposing sides in the crisis.
• Russia has been conducting airstrikes against Daesh and other terrorist groups in Syria at the Damascus government’s request since September 2015.