Syria says reached deal with Moscow on fate of Russian bases

DAMASCUS: Syria said on Sunday that it reached a deal with Moscow on the fate of Russia’s two bases in the country, which it once used to provide military support to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war.

Syria’s official SANA news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying that Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base, Russia’s only two official military bases outside the former Soviet Union, would be turned into “joint training and capacity-building centres, within new arrangements that preserve mutual interests”.

The memorandum of understanding, which followed a year and a half of negotiations, “set a time limit of no more than three months to complete the process”, SANA added.

In the meantime, civilian facilities at both bases will be handed over to Damascus.

Russia was a key Assad ally during Syria’s 13-year conflict, and provided vital military support that kept the former leader’s forces in power.

Assad’s ouster in 2024 dealt a major blow to Moscow’s influence in the region, and President Vladimir Putin has been working to build relations with the new Islamist authorities in Damascus to secure the future of the bases.

Both the Hmeimim and Tartus bases had remained operational while talks were ongoing.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited the sites on Sunday “to inspect the facilities and installations included in the historic memorandum of understanding”, according to SANA.

Syria has expressed a willingness to cooperate with Moscow, and President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been received by Putin in Moscow twice since taking over.

Damascus, however, has repeatedly demanded that Russia extradite Assad, who has been sheltering in Moscow with his wife since his ouster.

Earlier this year, the Kremlin withdrew its forces from the Qamishli airport in Syria’s northeast.