YEREVAN, OCTOBER 10, ARMENPRESS. Russia plans to deploy a naval base in Syria’s Tartus on the permanent basis, Deputy Defense Minister Nikolai Pankov said on October 10, TASS reported.

"In Syria, we will have a permanent naval base in Tartus. The corresponding documents have been drafted. Currently they are in the process of inter-departmental coordination. The degree of readiness is rather high. We hope that we will soon ask you to ratify these documents," Pankov said at a meeting of the Federation Council’s international affairs committee.

Pankov earlier said the Russian Defense Ministry was considering the option of deploying military bases to the countries, where they were in the Soviet Union times.