Syria has announced that it has reached an agreement with Russia regarding the future of two military bases in the country, which were previously used to support former President Bashar al-Assad during the prolonged civil war.
According to the state news agency SANA, Syria's Foreign Ministry confirmed on March 16 that the Hmeimim air base and the Tartus naval base will be transformed into “joint training and capacity-building centers” under the new agreement, aimed at protecting the common interests of both parties.
These two facilities are Russia's only official military bases outside the former Soviet Union. The memorandum of understanding, reached after a year and a half of negotiations, sets a deadline of no more than three months to complete the transition process.
