Syria reaches deal with Moscow over fate of Russian bases

Syria and Russia have reached a memorandum of understanding to reorganise Russia’s presence at the Khmeimim and Tartus bases in western Syria following about 18 months of negotiations, the Syrian foreign ministry said.

Under the memorandum, Syria will assume management of civilian facilities, including Khmeimim Airport and the fourth commercial berth at Tartus port, and will gradually integrate them into the civilian administration system, according to the ministry’s Media and Communications Directorate, as cited by the Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA).

Military bases and facilities will undergo a functional transformation, with the two sides agreeing to convert them into joint training and qualification centres under new arrangements designed to preserve their mutual interests.

The memorandum sets a maximum three-month timeframe to complete the transition, after which the new arrangements will take effect, the ministry said.

​​​​​​​It described the agreement as “the most significant development” since negotiations began about a year and a half ago, saying it opens the way for a new phase in Syrian-Russian relations.