Putin and al-Sharaa discuss Syria ties and military base deal
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Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa held a telephone call on Wednesday to discuss bilateral relations and the fate of Russia's military bases in Syria. The Kremlin said both sides underscored the importance of a memorandum signed on August 9 on reorganising the Khmeimim air base and Tartous naval base. The call came after Syria announced a deal to turn the bases into joint training centres.
Key Facts
- Putin and al-Sharaa held a telephone call on Wednesday, according to Syrian state news agency SANA.
- Putin affirmed Moscow's support for Syria's territorial integrity and rejected Israeli attacks on Syrian sovereignty.
- The Kremlin said both sides underscored the importance of a memorandum signed on August 9 on reorganising the Khmeimim air base and Tartous naval base.
- Syria announced earlier this month that a deal was reached after 18 months of negotiations to turn the bases into joint training and capacity-building centres.
The Call
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa discussed bilateral relations and the fate of Russia's military bases in Syria during a telephone call on Wednesday. Putin affirmed Moscow's support for Syria's territorial integrity and reiterated Russia's rejection of Israeli attacks and violations of Syrian sovereignty, according to Syrian state news agency SANA. The Kremlin said the discussion also concerned deepening political dialogue and cooperation in trade, among other areas. The talks were aimed at further development of bilateral relations and strengthened cooperation, SANA noted.
Military Bases
The status of the Khmeimim airbase and Tartous naval base, which are highly strategic for Russia, remains the key topic between Damascus and Moscow. The Kremlin said that Russia-Syria relations will continue through continued contact at various levels and that both sides underscored the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding on the Reorganisation of the Khmeimim Air Base and the Tartus Material-Technical Support Point, signed on August 9. Syria announced earlier this month that a deal had been agreed after 18 months of negotiations that will see Khmeimim and Tartous turned into joint training and capacity-building centres, with Syria to take control of civilian facilities at both bases. Russia backed former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad throughout Syria's 13-year civil war, intervening militarily to keep him in power and expanding the Russian footprint at the Khmeimim air base and Tartous naval base on the Mediterranean coast. Since al-Sharaa led the ouster of the Assad regime, Putin has worked to build relations with the new Syrian government and to secure the future of the bases, which are key to Russian efforts to maintain influence across the Middle East and Northern Africa.
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Putin and al-Sharaa discuss Syria ties and military base deal
