Syria says Russia bases deal gives it airport control

Syria said Sunday it had reached a deal with Russia to turn Moscow's Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base into joint training and capacity-building centres, with civilian facilities at both bases to be handed over to Damascus.

Syria's official SANA news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying the bases would operate under new arrangements that preserve mutual interests. SANA said the memorandum of understanding followed a year and a half of negotiations and set a time limit of no more than three months to complete the process.

Omar al-Hasri, head of Syria's Civil Aviation Authority, said the authority was taking control of Latakia's international airport, a civilian facility next to Hmeimim whose operations had been closely linked to Russia's presence.

Hasri said specialised teams had begun a technical and operational assessment of the airport, its facilities and systems before preparing a rehabilitation plan. He called the move an important step toward restoring and operating Syrian airports and reintegrating them into the national civil aviation system.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited the sites on Sunday to inspect facilities and installations included in the memorandum, SANA said. Russia had not officially commented on the agreement at the time reported.

Russia used the two bases while providing military support to Bashar al-Assad during Syria's civil war. Assad's ouster in 2024 weakened Moscow's position in the region, and President Vladimir Putin has sought relations with the new Islamist authorities in Damascus to secure the bases' future.

Both Hmeimim and Tartus had remained operational while talks continued. Syria has expressed willingness to cooperate with Moscow, and President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been received by Putin in Moscow twice since taking over.

Damascus has also repeatedly demanded that Russia extradite Assad, who has been sheltering in Moscow with his wife since his ouster. Earlier this year, the Kremlin withdrew its forces from Qamishli airport in northeastern Syria.