DAMASCUS(National Times)- Syria said on Sunday that it reached a deal with Russia on the fate of its two bases in the country.

Syria’s official SANA news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying that the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base would be turned into “joint training and capacity-building centres, within new arrangements that preserve mutual interests”.

The memorandum of understanding, which followed a year and a half of negotiations, “set a time limit of no more than three months to complete the process”, SANA said.

In the meantime, civilian facilities at both bases will be handed over to Damascus.

Both to be turned into joint training and capacity-building centres

Russia has yet to officially comment on the agreement.

Both the Hmeimim and Tartus bases had remained operational while talks were ongoing.

Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani visited the sites on Sunday “to inspect the facilities and installations included in the historic memorandum of understanding”, according to SANA.

‘Important step’

Omar al-Hasri, head of Syria’s Civil Aviation Authority, said the body was taking control of Latakia’s international airport, a civilian facility adjacent to Hmeimim whose operations were closely linked to Russia’s presence. “The Authority’s specialised teams have begun the technical and operational assessment of the airport, its facilities and systems, in preparation for developing a plan to rehabilitate it,” Hasri said.

He called the move “an important step towards restoring and operating Syrian airports and reintegrating them into the national civil aviation system”.

Syria has expressed a willingness to cooperate with Moscow, and President Ahmed al-Sharaa has been received by Putin in Moscow twice since taking over.