The Russian Federation Council, the parliament’s upper house, ratified an agreement with Armenia aimed at creating a joint air defense system in the Caucasus, at a parliamentary session on Friday, Sputnik reports.

The purpose of the agreement is to improve the air defense system in the Caucasus region.

The agreement, signed in Moscow on December 23, 2015, has been concluded for the term of five years, with the possibility of an automatic extention for a further five-year period.

The Armenian parliament, the National Assembly, ratified the agreement on June 30.