Syria and Russia Reach Deal on Future of Two Military Bases

Syria's official SANA news agency quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying on Sunday that the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base would be turned into "joint training and capacity-building centres" under new arrangements aimed at preserving mutual interests. The two facilities are Russia's only official military bases outside the former Soviet Union. The memorandum of understanding, reached after a year and a half of negotiations, sets a deadline of no more than three months to complete the transition, SANA said.