LIPETSK, January 23. /TASS/. The speaker of Russia’s upper house of parliament, the Federation Council, Valentina Matviyenko, said there are no plans to create new Russian military bases abroad.

"This issue was not discussed, there is no talk about new Russian military bases abroad," Matviyenko said.

Speaking about the Russian-Syrian agreement on the Tartus base, Matviyenko said it is a very important document. If the State Duma ratified it this week, the Federation Council could consider it already on February 1, she said.

Matviyenko recalled that the base in the Syrian port city of Tartus is a strategically important naval facility stressing that the agreement was signed with the legitimate Syrian authorities. She added that the fight against international terrorism demands Russia’s presence in the region.

Russia and Syria have signed an agreement on an enlargement of the Tarutus naval facility area and Hmeymim air base for a period of 49 years. Russia will be able to deploy up to eleven naval ships simultaneously there.