The Khmeimim and Tartus bases will be transformed into “joint centers for training and capacity building, within the framework of new arrangements that preserve mutual interests,” the state news agency Sana quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying.
The negotiations that led to the agreement have been ongoing for a year and a half. In the meantime, the bases have continued to operate as usual. The transformation of the Khmeimim air base and the Tartus naval base is expected to be completed within three months.
Russia was a key ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the country's civil war. When Assad was overthrown in 2024, Russia's influence in the region was greatly weakened.
