The Media Line: Russian Bases in Syria To Become Joint Training Centers Under New Agreement   

Russian Bases in Syria To Become Joint Training Centers Under New Agreement   

By Rizik Alabi / The Media Line  

[DAMASCUS] Syria’s Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that Damascus and Moscow have reached a memorandum of understanding on the future of Russian facilities at Hmeimim and Tartus after roughly 18 months of negotiations, in a move Syria says will mark a new phase in Syrian-Russian relations.  

In a statement carried by Syria’s state news agency, SANA, the ministry said that the memorandum settles the future of the two Russian bases and establishes the framework that will govern Russia’s presence on the Syrian coast in the coming period.  

Under the arrangement, Syria will assume management of facilities designated for civilian use, including Hmeimim Airport and the fourth commercial berth at the Port of Tartus. The ministry said those facilities would gradually be incorporated into Syria’s civilian administrative system.   

The two sides also agreed to redefine the role of Russian military facilities, converting them from military bases into joint training and qualification centers under arrangements intended to preserve the interests of both countries, the ministry said.   

Damascus said the transition must be completed within three months, with the new arrangements taking effect once the process is complete. The ministry did not disclose how many Russian personnel would remain in Syria, the nature of the activities planned for the joint centers, the duration of the new framework, or whether it fully replaces earlier agreements governing Russia’s military presence in Syria.   

Still, the Syrian announcement suggests that Russia’s presence in the country could change significantly, from permanent military bases to joint training and qualification facilities, alongside the Syrian state’s resumption of control over the civilian-use sections of Hmeimim and Tartus.  

Russia’s presence on Syria’s coast dates back to the Soviet era, when Tartus began operating as a logistical support facility in 1971. Its strategic significance grew after Russia’s direct military intervention in Syria in 2015, when Hmeimim in Latakia province became a central hub for Russian air operations.   

In 2017, Moscow and the government of then-President Bashar Assad formalized long-term arrangements for the two sites, including 49-year terms with provisions for further extensions. The two sites consequently served as central pillars of Russian military influence in Syria and the eastern Mediterranean, with Hmeimim supporting Russian air power and Tartus providing Moscow with a naval foothold.