Syria and Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding on the future of Moscow's two strategic military installations on the Syrian Mediterranean coast, concluding roughly 18 months of intensive negotiations between the two foreign ministries.
Under the agreement, the Hmeimim airbase and the naval facility at the port of Tartus will be redefined as joint training and rehabilitation centres rather than exclusively Russian military outposts. Damascus will assume management of civilian infrastructure at both sites, including Hmeimim airport and the fourth commercial pier at Tartus port.
The transition is to be completed within three months, according to the text of the memorandum. The deal signals a recalibration of Russia's military footprint in Syria, shifting the footprint toward a cooperative framework while preserving a continued presence through joint operations.