Hmeimim air base hosts Russia's military presence in Syria; latest talks envision converting facilities at Hmeimim and Tartus into joint training centers within three months.
Syria has announced a deal with Russia that will transfer civilian control of Hmeimim air base and the commercial berth at Tartus port to Damascus and convert military areas at both sites into joint training and qualification centres within three months. The agreement follows year‑and‑a‑half negotiations after Bashar al‑Assad's ouster and partial Russian troop withdrawals.