Syria, Russia Strike Deal on Future of Two Key Mediterranean Bases
Syria and Russia have agreed to reorganize Moscow's military presence, with Damascus taking control of key coastal facilities.
Syria's Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that an agreement has been reached with Russia regarding the future of two strategic Mediterranean coastal bases, effectively ending their role as Russian military outposts.
The deal covers the Hmeimem air base near Latakia and the naval facilities at Tartus port. Under the terms, Syria will assume control of the Hmeimem air base and the commercial berth at Tartus port as part of its civil administration. The military facilities at both sites are slated to become joint training and qualification centers.
The ministry described the arrangement as a "reorganizing of the Russian presence" along Syria's coast. A statement called it the most significant development since negotiations began roughly a year and a half ago, paving the way for a new phase in Syrian-Russian relations.
Russia has not yet commented on the agreement. Moscow was the primary political and military ally of ousted President Bashar Assad during Syria's conflict from 2011 to 2024, when an Islamist-led opposition, including current interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa, fought against his rule. Throughout that period, Hmeimem and Tartus served as key Russian outposts in the eastern Mediterranean.
Moscow did not intervene during the rapid insurgency that toppled Assad, though it later granted him and his family asylum. Russian troops remaining in Syria gradually withdrew after his ouster.
Syria's new leadership has sought to maintain strong bilateral ties with Moscow. Al-Sharaa has visited President Vladimir Putin in Russia twice since taking power, with the two bases being central topics of discussion.
Since Assad's fall, Syria has also strengthened relations with the United States, Europe, and neighboring Arab countries that had previously cut ties with Damascus. Washington has lifted most of its crippling sanctions, and French President Emmanuel Macron visited Syria in July, announcing that the two countries would appoint ambassadors for the first time in 14 years.