Syria Reaches Deal With Russia on Future of Hmeimim and Tartus Military Bases

Syria says it has reached an agreement with Moscow on the future of Russia’s two military facilities in the country, following lengthy negotiations over their status after the fall of former President Bashar al-Assad.

According to Syria’s official SANA news agency, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday that the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base will be transformed into joint training and capacity-building centres under the new arrangement.

The agreement is intended to protect the mutual interests of both Syria and Russia, while establishing a new framework for cooperation between the two countries.

The memorandum of understanding was reached after approximately 18 months of negotiations, with the transition expected to be completed within a maximum of three months, SANA reported.

The two facilities had played a major role in Russia’s military support for the government of Bashar al-Assad during Syria’s long-running civil war.

Hmeimim and Tartus are also significant because they have been Russia’s only official military bases outside the former Soviet Union.

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