Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa held a phone call on August 20, during which the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and the fate of Russian military bases in the Middle Eastern country.
According to Syria's SANA news agency, Putin affirmed Moscow's support for Syria's territorial integrity and reiterated Russia's rejection of Israeli attacks and any violations of Syrian sovereignty.
The Kremlin said the exchange also touched on promoting political dialogue and cooperation in trade and other areas. SANA emphasized that the talks aimed to further develop bilateral relations and strengthen cooperation.
However, the status of the Khmeimim air base and the Tartous naval base — which hold strategic importance for Russia — remains a key issue in Damascus-Moscow relations. The Kremlin said Russia-Syria ties would continue through contacts “at various levels,” and noted that “both sides emphasized the importance of the Memorandum on the Reorganization of the Khmeimim Base and the Tartous Material and Technical Support Point, signed on August 9.”
Earlier, on August 9, Syria announced it had reached an agreement with Moscow after 18 months of talks over the future of Russian bases. Under the accord, Khmeimim and Tartous will be converted into “joint training and capacity-building centers,” with Syria taking over civilian facilities at both sites.
Russia backed former President Bashar al-Assad throughout Syria's 13-year civil war, intervening militarily to keep him in power and expanding its presence at Khmeimim air base and Tartous naval base on the Mediterranean coast.
Since al-Sharaa led the forces that toppled al-Assad's government, Putin has sought to build ties with the new Syrian administration and secure the future of the bases, which are key to Russia maintaining influence in the Middle East and North Africa.
