New deal reduces Russia’s military presence in Syria: What to know

Russia and Syria reached an agreement on Sunday to reorganize Moscow’s two military bases in the country, paving the way for a gradual reduction in Russia’s military presence after more than a year of negotiations.

What happened: The Syrian Foreign Ministry announced on Sunday that a memorandum of understanding was reached between Syria and Russia, outlining the future of the Tartous and Hmeimim bases, both located on Syria’s Mediterranean coast.

Under the memorandum, military facilities at the bases would be converted into joint training and ​certification centers with the transition to be completed within three months, the ministry said in a statement cited by the state-run news agency, SANA.

Regarding civilian facilities, the Syrian state will take over management of sites operated to date by Russia, namely the Hmeimim ​airport and one of the commercial berths at Tartous Port, with the aim of gradually integrating them into the Syrian civilian administration system.