Syria Reaches Memorandum With Russia To Redefine Hmeimim And Tartus Bases

Syria’s Foreign Ministry announced that it reached a memorandum of understanding with Russia on the future of the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base after about a year and a half of negotiations.

“The memorandum followed 18 months of intensive negotiations.”

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Under the memorandum, the Syrian state will take over management of civilian facilities, including Hmeimim airport and the fourth commercial wharf at Tartus Port, with the process aimed at gradual integration into Syria’s civil administration system.

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For military facilities, the two sides agreed to redefine their function by transforming them from military bases into joint training and qualification centers, with a time limit not to exceed three months to complete the conversion.

The agreement follows uncertainty over the bases after Russian ally Bashar al-Assad fled the country in 2024, and it comes as Russia seeks to preserve its only Mediterranean repair and replenishment hub at Tartous.

A Russian Foreign Ministry statement said, “We regard the signing on 9 August of the memorandum between the Russian Federation and the Syrian Arab Republic on the operation of our bases in Hmeimim and Tartous as an important step aimed at further improving bilateral cooperation in the military sphere.”

Al Jazeera reported that Syria’s government is using the memorandum to send “a clear message that the central government in Damascus is in control of all assets that belong to Syria and are part of Syrian territory,” while also affirming that “its national sovereignty is not up for negotiation.”

Al Jazeera also said Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited the sites on Sunday “to inspect the facilities and installations included in the historic memorandum of understanding”, according to SANA.

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The Al Jazeera account added that Russia has yet to officially comment on the agreement, and that both the Hmeimim and Tartus bases had remained operational while talks were ongoing.

In the same reporting, Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto said Russia has “significantly downgraded its military presence from over 100 military bases to just these two positions on the Syrian coast.”

The ABC News Nepal version described the same shift in function, saying the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base will be transformed into “joint training and capacity-building centres” with civilian facilities immediately reverting to Syrian control.A

The Reuters account framed the deal as giving Russia “geopolitical clout in the Middle East” and boosting its ability to project power across the Mediterranean and into Africa, while noting that the Tartous facility is Russia’s only Mediterranean repair and replenishment hub.

“The Tartous facility is Russia’s only Mediterranean repair and replenishment hub”

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Reuters said the Syrian state would take over management of civilian facilities, including Hmeimim airport and the commercial berth at Tartous port, and that military facilities would be repurposed as joint training centres with the transition to be completed within three months.

A Syrian source familiar with the terms told Reuters that Russian forces would still be stationed at the new training centres, but did not provide details on how many would be there.

Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto said the arrangement is expected to clarify “what kind of military presence Russia will maintain here in Syria” in the coming weeks, as the positions are augmented in terms acceptable to both sides.

Al Jazeera also quoted Alexey Muraviev saying, “The agreement between Russia and the Syrian government indicates that both countries need each other,” linking the memorandum to a pragmatic effort to preserve Russia’s foothold while Damascus reasserts control over civilian assets.