Russian military bases in Syria are being transformed into joint training centers.

      Moscow and Damascus have agreed to change the format of the Russian presence in Syria. Military facilities are planned to be transformed into joint training centers, and part of the civilian infrastructure will be handed over to the Syrian side. This was reported by the Syrian Foreign Ministry, as conveyed by the state agency SANA. According to the memorandum, the Khmeimim airport and the fourth commercial dock of the Tartus port will come under the control of Damascus. They are planned to be integrated into the system of civilian governance in Syria. At the same time, the status of facilities currently used for military purposes will be reviewed. Russian military bases are to be transformed into joint training and qualification improvement centers. New mechanisms for their operation, as reported by the Syrian Foreign Ministry, will take into account the interests of both countries. The transition to the new format of the Russian presence is expected to take no more than three months. The Syrian Foreign Ministry stated that the memorandum is the result of about a year and a half of negotiations between Moscow and Damascus. They called the agreements reached the most significant outcome of this negotiation process. At the end of July, the transitional president of Syria, Ahmed al-Sharaa, mentioned that discussions about the future of Russian bases are still ongoing.

      It is worth noting that the Russian airbase Khmeimim is located near the Syrian city of Jebla, approximately 60 km south of Tartus. It was established on the site of a civilian airfield, and the agreement for the deployment of the Russian aviation group was signed by Moscow and Damascus in August 2015. The logistics support point for the Russian fleet in Tartus has been operational since Soviet times and remains the only such facility for Russia in the Mediterranean Sea.

      In 2017, Russia and Syria agreed to place Russian forces at these facilities for 49 years—until 2066. Khmeimim and Tartus were used to support the Russian military grouping in Syria. Now their further status will be determined by the conditions of the new memorandum.