Syria and Russia Forge New Future for Military Bases

Syria and Russia have reached an agreement to transform Russia's military bases in Syria into joint training centers, ensuring their strategic interests. The transition will be completed within three months. The move follows Assad's ousting and underscores Syria's willingness to cooperate with Moscow under President Sharaa's leadership.

Syria has struck a pivotal deal with Moscow concerning the future operations of Russia's two military bases within its territory. These bases, originally established to support ousted President Bashar al-Assad, will undergo a transformation into 'joint training and capacity-building centres' aimed at preserving mutual interests, as per the Syrian Foreign Ministry. This agreement was concluded following 18 months of negotiations and must be fully realized within three months.

In the interim, civilian facilities at the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base will transition back under Damascus' control. So far, Russian authorities have not made an official statement regarding this arrangement.

These installations remained operational throughout the negotiations. Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani conducted an inspection on Sunday to review the facilities outlined in this historic memorandum. Russia had been a pivotal ally during Syria's prolonged civil war, maintaining Assad's regime for 13 years. His eventual ousting in 2024 marked a significant shift, prompting Moscow to seek fortified diplomatic relations with Syria under President Ahmed al-Sharaa.

President Vladimir Putin is actively working to secure Russia's influence by strengthening ties with Syria, with al-Sharaa visiting Moscow twice post-transition. On a previous visit, Putin lauded the restoration of bilateral relations and commended Sharaa's efforts in Syria's territorial restoration, though Damascus has persistently called for Assad's extradition from Moscow.