Syria says it reached deal with Moscow on future of Russian bases
Damascus, August 9
Syria has reached an agreement with Moscow regarding the future of Russia's two military bases in the country, which were previously used to back ousted President Bashar al-Assad, Al Jazeera reported on Sunday, citing Syria's official SANA news agency.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry stated that the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base would be converted into "joint training and capacity-building centres" under new arrangements designed to preserve mutual interests. The memorandum of understanding, finalised after 18 months of negotiations, establishes a deadline of no more than three months to complete the transition.
During the interim period, civilian facilities located at both installations will be handed over to Damascus, Al Jazeera reported.
Russian authorities have yet to issue an official comment regarding the agreement.
Both the Hmeimim and Tartus facilities had remained fully operational while discussions 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".
Moscow served as a crucial ally to ousted President Bashar al-Assad during Syria's 13-year civil war, providing essential military backing to maintain his regime's power, Al Jazeera reported.
Assad's removal in 2024 dealt a major setback to Moscow's strategic influence across the region.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has since sought to build diplomatic ties with his Syrian counterpart Ahmed al-Sharaa to safeguard the future of Russia's only two official military bases outside the former Soviet Union.
Syria has similarly indicated a willingness to cooperate with Moscow, with Putin receiving Sharaa twice in Moscow since the transition of power, Al Jazeera reported.
During the Syrian President's previous visit in January, Putin remarked that "much has been accomplished in terms of restoring our interstate relations", while praising Sharaa for his "efforts to restore Syria's territorial integrity".
Although Sharaa commended Russia's "historic role" in Syria and the wider region, Damascus has consistently demanded that Moscow extradite Assad, who has been sheltering in the Russian capital with his wife since his ouster.
— ANI
Reader Comments
More than anything, this shows how international relations are never permanent. One day you're an ally, the next you're negotiating terms with your former adversary. The Syrian leadership is clearly being pragmatic—Russians have money and military tech, and Syria needs rebuilding. But wouldn't it have been better to kick Russia out completely and start fresh? 🤔
Russia keeps its bases, Syria gets civilian facilities back, and Putin gets to host the new Syrian president in Moscow. Everyone claims victory. Honestly, for Syria, it's better to have Russia engaged in training and capacity-building than to have them completely isolated, which could push them into further arms deals with other powers. Pragmatism over idealism—that's how the world works.
The demand for Assad's extradition is a bit of a joke, right? Why would Russia hand him over? They'd lose all leverage and credibility. This entire deal seems like a face-saving exercise for both sides. Syria needs money, Russia needs a presence in the Mediterranean. Nobody cares about justice for the Syrian people anymore, sadly.
18 months of negotiations for a three-month transition? That says something about how complicated it is to untangle these decades-old agreements. I'm curious about the "capacity-building centres" details. Is it like training exercises, or are they going to build something new? Also is India ever in such deals? We are always careful, but look at how Syrian President visited Moscow twice in a year. That's some active diplomacy right there.
I guess the Russia-Syria relationship is more like a business partnership than an ideological one these days. With Russia’s economy strained due to sanctions, they certainly don’t want to lose the Mediterranean access. But honestly, holding onto a military presence after backing a brutal dictator is not a good look. Hopefully, the new "training centres" just mean they'll focus on joint counter
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