Syria says it reached deal with Moscow on future of Russian bases

Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base will become joint training and capacity-building centres under the agreement.

Syria says it has reached a deal with Moscow on the future of Russia’s two military bases in the country, which were used to support ousted President Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian war.

Syria’s official SANA news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying on Sunday that the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base would be turned into “joint training and capacity-building centres” under new arrangements aimed at preserving mutual interests.

The memorandum of understanding, reached after a year and a half of negotiations, sets a deadline of no more than three months to complete the transition, SANA said.

In the meantime, civilian facilities at both bases will be handed over to Damascus.

Russia has yet to officially comment on the agreement.

Both the Hmeimim and Tartus bases had remained operational while talks were ongoing.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited the sites on Sunday “to inspect the facilities and installations included in the historic memorandum of understanding”, according to SANA.

Russia was a key Assad ally during Syria’s 13-year civil war, helping to keep the former leader in power by providing vital military support.

Assad’s ouster in 2024 dealt a major blow to Moscow’s influence in the region.

President Vladimir Putin has since worked to build relations with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa to secure the future of Russia’s only two official military bases outside the former Soviet Union.

Syria has also expressed a willingness to cooperate with Moscow, with Putin receiving Sharaa twice in Moscow since taking power.

During Sharaa’s last visit in January, Putin said “much has been accomplished in terms of restoring our interstate relations”, commending Sharaa for his “efforts to restore Syria’s territorial integrity”.

While Sharaa praised Russia’s “historic role” in Syria and the region, Damascus has repeatedly demanded that it extradite Assad, who has been sheltering in Moscow with his wife since his ouster.