Syria and Russia have agreed to reorganise Russia's military presence on the Syrian coast, including transforming its bases at Hmeimim and Tartus into joint training and rehabilitation centres, Syria's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
The agreement follows 18 months of negotiations and was formalised in a memorandum of understanding outlining a new phase in relations between the two countries, the ministry's Media and Communications Department told state news agency Sana.
Under the memorandum, the Syrian state will assume management of civilian facilities, including Hmeimim Airport and the fourth commercial berth at the port of Tartus, which will be gradually integrated into Syria's civilian administration.
The two sides also agreed to redefine the function of Russian military facilities, transforming them from military bases into joint training and rehabilitation centres under new arrangements intended to protect their mutual interests, the ministry said.
The memorandum sets a deadline of no more than three months to complete the transformation, after which the new arrangements will take effect.
The Foreign Ministry described the agreement as the most significant development since negotiations began about a year and a half ago, saying it would open a “different phase” in Syrian-Russian relations.
Syrian Foreign Minister Assad Shibani visited Latakia International Airport and Tartus port to inspect the facilities and installations included in the “historic” deal, according to Sana.
Syria's General Authority of Civil Aviation and Air Transport assumed management of Latakia Airport on Sunday, also according to Sana.
The authority said it would complete the necessary technical and operational procedures to rehabilitate and reopen the airport, paving the way for it to receive flights and thereby increase air connectivity between the region and other governorates, as well as regional and international destinations.
Russia's military presence in Syria dates back to 1971, when the Soviet Union established a naval support facility at Tartus. Moscow expanded its footprint dramatically in 2015, establishing the Hmeimim airbase near Latakia as part of its military intervention in support of Bashar Al Assad, the country's dictator at the time.
But Russia was unable, or unwilling, to save the regime again when Ahmad Al Shara, a leading figure behind the 2015 offensive, repeated the sweep in December 2024, eventually capturing Damascus, together with other rebel groups, which forced Mr Al Assad and his associates to flee to Moscow.
The Russian military maintained its presence at the two bases. However, in January last year, the Russian Foreign Ministry suggested transforming the two bases into “humanitarian hubs”.
Mr Al Shara has made two official visits to Moscow to meet the Russian President Vladimir Putin. His first visit took place on October 15, 2025, and the second in January this year, during which the leaders discussed bilateral ties and military base agreements.
