Syria and Russia have agreed to reorganise Russia's military presence on the Syrian coast, including transforming its bases at Hmeimim and Tartus into joint training and rehabilitation centres, Syria's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.
The agreement follows 18 months of negotiations and was formalised in a memorandum of understanding outlining a new phase in relations between the two countries, a ministry source told state news agency Sana.
Under the memorandum, the Syrian state will assume management of civilian facilities, including Hmeimim Airport and the fourth commercial berth at the port of Tartus, with the facilities gradually integrated into Syria's civilian administration.
The two sides also agreed to redefine the function of Russian military facilities, transforming them from military bases into joint training and rehabilitation centres under new arrangements intended to protect their mutual interests.
The memorandum sets a deadline of no more than three months to complete the transformation, after which the new arrangements will take effect, the ministry said.
It described the agreement as the most significant development since negotiations began about a year and a half ago, saying it would open a "different phase" in Syrian-Russian relations.
