Syrian Transitional Government Does Not Plan to Breach Russian Base Agreements
The Syrian transitional government has no intention of breaching agreements regarding Russian
military bases in the country, according to a source cited by TASS. The Syrian authorities are not
planning to disrupt the agreements under which Russia uses military bases in the Latakia and
Tartus provinces in the near future.
Per the same source, the parties are negotiating to ensure that neither military actions nor
sudden changes in power in Syria will be considered force majeure reasons for terminating these
agreements. The discussions also cover the scope of the Russian presence.
“Russia seeks to preserve the legal status of its bases. The negotiations focus on ensuring that
military actions and regime changes are not seen as force majeure for ending long-term lease
agreements for facilities in Tartus and Latakia. Even after negotiations conclude, the Syrian side
does not plan to breach these agreements,” the source continued.
On December 9, a TASS source reported that Russia had initiated talks with the new Syrian
authorities concerning the maintenance of its military bases. According to this source, the new
Syrian government provided assurances for the security of Russian military bases during these
talks.
Russian Military Bases in Syria
Russia maintains two military installations in Syria: the Russian naval logistics center in the
coastal city of Tartus and the Hmeimim airbase near Jableh in Latakia province.
The Tartus base was established in 1971 under a bilateral agreement.
The Russian Aerospace Forces group in Syria was created on September 30, 2015, to support the
Syrian army in its fight against the terrorist organization ISIS (banned in Russia).
Previously, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister and Special Envoy for Middle East and Africa Affairs,
Mikhail Bogdanov, stated that Moscow had direct communications with the political committee of
Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (banned in Russia). He indicated that Russia counts on preserving its
military bases.
On December 19, Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned that Moscow has offered to use
Russian military bases to deliver humanitarian aid to Syria.
Source: TASS
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