Damascus announces agreement with Moscow on the fate of its two bases in western Syria
Syrian authorities announced on Sunday that they had reached a memorandum of understanding with Russia regarding the future of its two bases at the Hmeimim airbase and the port of Tartus in western Syria. The agreement stipulates that the military facilities will be converted into joint training and rehabilitation centers within a period not exceeding three months.
According to the Syrian Foreign Ministry, as reported by the official Sana news agency, after a year and a half of negotiations, a “memorandum of understanding” was reached under which Damascus would “manage the facilities with a civilian character, primarily the Hmeimim airbase and the fourth commercial pier at the port of Tartus.” Meanwhile, the military bases and facilities would have their “function redefined, transforming them from military bases into joint training and rehabilitation centers, under new arrangements.”
The Foreign Ministry clarified that the “memorandum of understanding set a time limit not exceeding three months to complete the conversion process, after which the new arrangements would enter into force.”
Russia, which became one of the most prominent supporters of ousted President Bashar al-Assad upon its military intervention in the Syrian conflict in September 2015, contributed to shifting the balance of power on the ground in favor of the former government forces in their confrontation with opposition factions and jihadist groups through its air strikes.
Moscow strengthened its military presence in Syria during its intervention through two main bases: an air base in Hmeimim in the Latakia governorate and a naval base in the port of Tartus. These constituted Russia’s only military sites outside the former Soviet Union space, providing it with a strategic foothold on the Mediterranean Sea.
The overthrow of Assad on December 8, 2024, dealt a severe blow to Russian influence in the Middle East, following the flight of the former president, his wife, and several close associates to Moscow. The new Syrian authorities are demanding that Moscow hand them over.
However, the new Syrian administration did not target the Russian presence at the two bases, which remained in place during the following months as both sides entered into negotiations regarding its future.
President Ahmed al-Sharaa and his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, adopted a conciliatory tone, reaffirming their desire to maintain and develop bilateral relations.
Al-Sharaa visited Moscow twice since coming to power: the first time on October 15, 2025, during which he held his first meeting with Putin since the overthrow of Assad, and the second time on January 28, 2026.
During the second meeting, Putin praised al-Sharaa’s efforts to restore Syrian territorial unity, while the Syrian president emphasized that Russia plays a “historical role” in the stability of Syria and the region.
