Syria and Russia reach deal on Tartus and Hmeimim bases after 18 months of talks
Damascus will take over civilian sites such as Hmeimim airport and Tartus commercial port while military parts become joint training centres; transition due within three months.
Syria and Russia have reached an agreement on the future status of Russia’s facilities at Tartus and Hmeimim after 18 months of negotiations, the Syrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced.
The deal shifts civilian management to Damascus while keeping military capabilities in place
Under the arrangement, Syrian state authorities will assume control over the civilian installations, explicitly naming Hmeimim airport and the commercial port in Tartus. The handover is intended to allow those sites to be gradually integrated into the country’s civilian administration.
The agreement foresees that the military areas will be repurposed as joint centres for training and development. Officials set a deadline of three months for the transition to be completed.
Russia’s naval facility in Tartus and the Hmeimim airbase have long served as Moscow’s principal military footholds in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Negotiations over their future took place with the new Syrian leadership after former president Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024.
Separately, the announcement also noted a diplomatic rift in the region: Israel did not agree with the plan to disarm Hamas, says Netanyahu.
Photo: ЕПА
