Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Syria, Russia reach deal on future of military bases
Note: AI technology was used to generate this article’s audio.
- Hmeimim and Tartus to become joint training centers.
- Transition to be completed within three months.
- Damascus seeks cooperation while demanding Assad's extradition.
Syria has reached a deal with Moscow regarding the future of Russia's two strategic military bases in the country, which previously supported ousted President Bashar al-Assad.
Syria’s official SANA news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying on Sunday that the Hmeimim airbase and the Tartus naval base will be transformed into “joint training and capacity-building centres” under new arrangements intended to preserve mutual interests.
Three-month transition period
The landmark memorandum of understanding, finalized following a year and a half of negotiations, establishes a deadline of no more than three months to complete the full transition.
In the interim, civilian facilities at both Hmeimim and Tartus will be officially handed over to the Syrian government in Damascus.
Russia has not yet issued an official comment regarding the agreement.
Both military installations remained operational while negotiations were ongoing.
On Sunday, Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited the sites "to inspect the facilities and installations included in the historic memorandum of understanding," SANA reported.
Shifting relations following Assad's ouster
Russia served as a critical ally to Assad throughout Syria’s 13-year war, offering vital military backing that maintained the former leader's grip on power.
Assad’s ouster in 2024 dealt a significant blow to Moscow’s regional influence.
Since then, Russian President Vladimir Putin has actively engaged 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 demonstrated a willingness to cooperate with Moscow, with President Putin hosting President Sharaa twice in Moscow since Sharaa assumed power.
During Sharaa's most recent visit in January, Putin noted that "much has been accomplished in terms of restoring our interstate relations" and praised Sharaa's "efforts to restore Syria’s territorial integrity".
While Sharaa has commended Russia’s "historic role" in Syria and the wider region, Damascus has repeatedly called on Moscow to extradite Assad, who has been residing in Moscow with his wife since his ouster.
