"The government has approved our joint proposal [of partner countries] on the extension of ISS life until 2024," Komarov said early on Thursday, adding that political disagreements between the partner states have not affected the ISS program.
On Thursday the Russian Soyuz TMA-17M spacecraft successfully brought Russian cosmonaut Oleg Kononenko, Japanese astronaut Kimiya Yui and NASA astronaut Kjell Lindgren to the ISS.
They are joining he current ISS Expedition 44 comprising Russian cosmonauts Commander Gennady Padalka and Mikhail Kornienko, and NASA astronaut Scott Kelly.
The station is divided into two sections — the Russian Orbital Segment (ROS) and the United States Orbital Segment (USOS).
The ISS is the ninth space station to be inhabited by crews. It has been continuously occupied for over 14 years since the arrival of Expedition 1 in November 2000.
Russian Soyuz rockets are currently the only provider of human transport to the ISS.