Russia Ratifies Central Asia Base Deals

Russia’s lower house of parliament, the State Duma, ratified agreements with Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan on Friday extending the presence of Russian military bases in those countries. Both bases are seen by Moscow as a bulwark against the threat of Islamist militancy and drug-trafficking in Central Asia. Moscow and Dushanbe clinched an agreement in October last year to extend the lease of the Russian Army's 201st Division's base in Tajikistan until at least 2042.

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