DAMASCUS — Syria and Russia have agreed on a new framework for the future of Moscow’s military presence at two strategic bases on Syria’s Mediterranean coast, ending 18 months of negotiations and transferring control of civilian facilities to Damascus, Syria’s Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
Under a memorandum of understanding, Syria will take over management of civilian facilities at Hmeimim airport and a commercial berth at the port of Tartous, gradually integrating them into the country’s civilian administration, the ministry said.
Military facilities at the two sites will be converted into joint training and qualification centers under arrangements intended to preserve the interests of both countries. The transition is expected to be completed within three months, according to the Syrian Foreign Ministry.
The agreement changes the status of Hmeimim and Tartous, which have served as Russia’s principal military footholds in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. The bases became central to Moscow’s military intervention in Syria in 2015, when Russia deployed forces to support then-President Bashar al-Assad during the country’s civil war.
The future of the facilities became uncertain after Assad was ousted in December 2024 by opposition forces led by President Ahmed al-Sharaa. Russia subsequently withdrew troops from a number of positions elsewhere in Syria but retained personnel at Hmeimim and Tartous.
The Syrian General Authority for Ports and Customs separately said Damascus would assume control of commercial sites previously operated by Russia at Tartous, including Pier No. 4 and associated warehouses and facilities. Reuters reported last month that Russia had sought to establish a commercial logistics hub at the pier, with operations remaining subject to Syrian approval.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry described the agreement as a reorganization of Russia’s presence along the coast and said it would open a new phase in relations between Damascus and Moscow.
Russia did not immediately issue a public comment on the agreement, according to the Associated Press.
The deal comes as Syria’s new leadership seeks to maintain ties with Moscow while also strengthening relations with Western and Arab governments. President al-Sharaa has met Russian President Vladimir Putin twice since taking office, with the future of the two bases among the issues discussed.
