Russia Agrees to Transfer Commercial Facilities at Tartus Port to Syria

Dragon Media News Desk

Syria and Russia have agreed to transfer commercial facilities at the Port of Tartus that were previously operated by the Russian side to Syrian control.

According to Syria’s General Authority for Ports and Customs, the agreement includes the transfer of berth No. 4 at Tartus Port, along with associated warehouses and surrounding facilities, to the Syrian side.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry said the understanding was reached following a series of negotiations between Damascus and Moscow over the future of civilian and military facilities connected with the Russian presence in Syria.

Under the arrangement, facilities designated for civilian purposes will come under Syrian state management. These include civilian-use infrastructure at Hmeimim as well as the fourth commercial berth at Tartus Port, which will gradually be transferred to Syrian civilian administration.

The two countries have also agreed to redefine the role of Russian military facilities currently operating in Syria. According to the Syrian Foreign Ministry, the military installations are expected to be reorganized into joint military training and capacity-building centers.

The new framework is intended to preserve the mutual interests of both countries while adapting the existing Russian presence to Syria’s changing political and administrative circumstances.

Implementation of the transition is expected to be completed within a period of up to three months, after which civilian and military facilities will operate under the newly agreed arrangements.

Russia has long maintained two major military facilities in Syria: a naval logistics facility at Tartus and the Hmeimim Air Base in Latakia Governorate. These installations have played an important role in sustaining Russia’s military presence in the Mediterranean and the broader West Asian region.

Following the political transition in Syria in December 2024, Moscow and Damascus continued negotiations over the future status of these facilities. The latest understanding suggests that the Russian presence is being reorganized rather than entirely terminated, with both sides seeking to adapt their longstanding cooperation to the new political environment.

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has described the agreement as an important development following extended negotiations, saying it could open a new phase in relations between Syria and Russia.