Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Syria and Russia have reached an agreement on the future of two strategically important Russian military sites on the Mediterranean coast, ending 18 months of negotiations over Moscow’s presence in the country. Under the memorandum of understanding, Syria will take control of civilian facilities at the Hmeimim air base and the commercial section of Tartous port, while the military sites will be converted into joint Russia-Syria training and qualification centres, according to Syria’s Foreign Ministry and state news agency.
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The transition is expected to be completed within three months.
The agreement marks a major change in the way Russia’s military presence will operate in Syria. Rather than simply maintaining its existing bases in their previous form, Moscow will now work with Damascus under a new arrangement that both sides say protects their interests.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE TWO BASES?
The agreement covers Russia’s two main military footholds on Syria’s Mediterranean coast — the Hmeimim air base and the naval facility at Tartous. Syria’s state administration will take over civilian facilities, including Hmeimim airport and the commercial berth at Tartous port. Those sites will gradually be brought under the country’s civilian administration.
The military facilities, meanwhile, will be repurposed as joint training centres for Russian and Syrian personnel. The Syrian Foreign Ministry described the changes as a “reorganising of the Russian presence” along the country’s coast.
“This move marks the most significant development since negotiations began approximately a year and a half ago, paving the way for a new phase in Syrian-Russian relations,” the ministry said.
Syria’s General Authority for Ports and Customs separately said it would assume control of commercial facilities previously operated by Russia at Tartous, including Pier No. 4, along with associated warehouses and other infrastructure.
Reuters earlier reported that Moscow had been seeking to establish a commercial logistics hub at the port using Pier No. 4. The proposed hub would remain under Syrian control, with operations subject to approval from the Syrian authorities.
WHY RUSSIA’S BASES MATTER
The agreement is significant because Hmeimim and Tartous have long been key pillars of Russia’s military presence in the region. Hmeimim has served as Moscow’s main air hub in Syria, while Tartous has provided Russia with an important naval foothold in the Mediterranean. Together, the two facilities have supported Russia’s military operations and broader strategic presence in the Middle East.
Their future became uncertain after former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024 following a lightning offensive by Islamist insurgents led by current interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa.
Russia had been Assad’s most important military ally during Syria’s civil war, which began in 2011. Moscow intervened directly in the conflict and helped Assad’s government regain control over large parts of the country.
After Assad was ousted, he and his family were granted asylum in Russia. Moscow did not intervene militarily to prevent his removal, while Russian forces gradually withdrew from other parts of Syria and remained concentrated around the two Mediterranean bases.
Despite the change in Syria’s leadership, Damascus has sought to preserve its relationship with Moscow. Al-Sharaa has met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow twice since taking power, with the future of the two bases reportedly among the key issues discussed between the two sides.
The latest agreement suggests that both Damascus and Moscow have found a way to preserve military cooperation while giving Syria greater control over facilities on its territory.
The deal also reflects Syria’s effort to rebuild relations with multiple international partners after years of isolation under Assad. Since the former president’s removal, Damascus has strengthened ties with the United States, European countries and Arab states that had distanced themselves from Assad’s government.
Washington has lifted most of its sanctions on Syria, while French President Emmanuel Macron visited Damascus in July and announced plans for the two countries to appoint ambassadors for the first time in 14 years.
– Ends
SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
