Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived Saturday in Tajikistan for a visit aimed at cementing Moscow's military presence in the former Soviet republic by signing an agreement to establish a permanent base for troops that have been deployed in the country since before the Soviet collapse. Putin is to meet Tajik President Emomali Rakhmonov to complete long-delayed plans for the base for Russia's 5,000-strong 201st Motorized Rifle Division. The 201st fought in Afghanistan after the 1979 Soviet invasion and retreated to Tajikistan in 1989. --SP 1556 Local Time 1256 GMT