Moscow and Damascus sign memorandum to turn Russian military bases in Syria into joint training centers

Moscow and Damascus have reached an agreement to transform Russian military bases in Syria into joint training centers, according to a memorandum of understanding signed between the two nations. The Syrian Foreign Ministry, as reported by SANA, disclosed that the document outlines the conversion of Russian military bases in Hmeimim and Tartus into centers for joint training activities.

The negotiations leading to this agreement spanned 18 months. Following the ratification of the memorandum, Syria will assume control over civilian facilities, including Hmeimim Airport and the commercial vessel pier at Tartus, with the aim of integrating them into the country's expanding civilian infrastructure. The transition period for this transformation is set to last three months, after which the new arrangements will become fully operational.

Hmeimim Air Base, along with the Tartus Naval Facility, are both situated in Syria's Latakia province, situated on the Mediterranean coast. Since the downfall of Bashar Assad's regime in December 2024, Russia has initiated the withdrawal of its forces and equipment from Syria. By late 2024 and early 2025, a substantial quantity of weapons and military hardware was removed from the naval base in Tartus.

In January, Reuters reported on Russia's withdrawal of troops from the Qamishli air base in northeastern Syria, with some personnel and equipment being transferred to Hmeimim while others returned to Russia. Additionally, Reuters revealed that Moscow was endeavoring to repurpose Tartus for commercial purposes, stating that the Syrian company Rus Line, in collaboration with its Russian partners, is in the process of establishing a logistics hub at Tartus' port for transshipping Russian cargo, encompassing grain, coal, timber, and steel.