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Syria and Russia have reached a memorandum of understanding to reorganize Russia's presence at the Khmeimim and Tartus bases in western Syria after about 18 months of negotiations, the Syrian Foreign Ministry said Sunday.
Under the agreement, Syria will take over the management of civilian facilities, including Khmeimim Airport and the fourth commercial berth at Tartus port, according to the ministry's Media and Communications Directorate, as cited by the Syrian Arab News Agency, or SANA.
The facilities will be gradually integrated into Syria's civilian administration system.
Military bases and facilities will undergo a functional transformation under the memorandum.
Syria and Russia agreed to convert the sites from military bases into joint training and qualification centers under new arrangements intended to preserve the interests of both sides.
The memorandum sets a maximum three-month period to complete the transition, after which the new arrangements will take effect.
The Syrian Foreign Ministry described the agreement as "the most significant development" since negotiations began about a year and a half ago.
The ministry said the memorandum opens the way for a new phase in Syrian-Russian relations.
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