The port of Tartus is located in Syria’s Latakia province on the Mediterranean coast. Photo: SANARussia and Syria have signed a memorandum of understanding on the organization of Russia’s presence on the Syrian coast. Syria’s state news agency SANA, citing the Syrian Foreign Ministry, reported that the document provides for converting the Russian military bases at Hmeimim and Tartus into joint training centers.The ministry said the agreement was the result of negotiations that lasted 18 months. Under the document, Syria will take over management of civilian facilities, including Hmeimim airport and the commercial vessel pier at the port of Tartus, in order to gradually integrate them into the country’s civilian infrastructure.The memorandum provides for a three-month transition period, after which the new arrangements will take effect.Russia’s Hmeimim air base, along with the Tartus naval facility, are located in Syria’s Latakia province on the Mediterranean coast. After the fall of Bashar Assad’s regime in December 2024, Russia began withdrawing its forces and equipment from Syria. In late 2024 and early 2025, significant amounts of weapons and military hardware were removed from the naval base in Tartus.In January, Reuters reported that Russia had also begun withdrawing troops from the Qamishli air base in northeastern Syria. According to the agency, some personnel and equipment were being transferred to Hmeimim, while others were returning to Russia.Reuters also reported that Moscow was trying to repurpose Tartus for commercial use, writing that the Syrian company Rus Line, together with its Russian partners, is preparing to create a logistics hub at the port of Tartus for transshipping Russian cargo, including grain, coal, timber, and steel.