Syria, Russia recast Hmeimem and Tartus as joint training centres

Damascus,UPDATED: Aug 9, 2026 19:56 IST

Syria and Russia have reached an agreement on the future of two strategic bases on Syria's Mediterranean coast, ending their use as Russian military outposts, Syria's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. Under the deal, Syria will take control of the Hmeimem air base and the commercial berth at Tartus port, while the military facilities at both sites will be turned into "joint training and qualification centres".

The ministry said the new arrangements amount to a "reorganising of the Russian presence" along Syria's coast. In a statement, it said, "This move marks the most significant development since negotiations began approximately a year and a half ago, paving the way for a new phase in Syrian-Russian relations." Russia did not immediately comment on the agreement.

Russia was the main political and military ally of ousted President Bashar Assad between 2011 and 2024, when Syria was fighting an Islamist-led armed opposition in which current interim President Ahmad al-Sharaa was a prominent militant leader. During the conflict, the Hmeimem air base near Latakia and the Tartus naval base served as key Russian positions in the eastern Mediterranean.

Moscow did not intervene during the swift insurgency that led to Assad's overthrow, though it later gave Assad and his family asylum. After Assad's ouster, Russian troops still in Syria gradually left the country.

Syria's new leadership has sought to keep strong bilateral ties with Moscow. Al-Sharaa has visited Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow twice since taking power, with the two Mediterranean bases among the main issues discussed. Since Assad's ouster, Syria has also strengthened ties with the United States, Europe and neighbouring Arab countries that had cut relations with Damascus during Assad's crackdown on protests. Washington has lifted most of its sanctions on the country, and French President Emmanuel Macron visited Syria in July and announced that the two countries would appoint ambassadors for the first time in 14 years. The agreement on the two coastal bases now marks a major shift in Syria's military and diplomatic relationship with Russia.

With PTI Inputs

- Ends