Damascus, Aug. 19 (SANA)Syria’s reorganization of relations with Russia reflects a broader effort since liberation to reshape its regional and international relations through an emphasis on national sovereignty, balanced interests and diversified partnerships.

Relations withRussiarepresent one of the clearest examples of this approach. Damascus has sought to reorganize bilateral ties in a way that strengthens its sovereign decision-making and redefines cooperation with Moscow according to mutual interests.

After nearly 18 months of intensive negotiations, Damascus and Moscow reached a memorandum of understanding on August 9 to reorganize the Russian presence on the Syrian coast.

Under the memorandum,Syriawill regain management of civilian facilities, foremost among themHmeimim Airportand the fourth commercial berth atTartous Port. Facilities of a military nature will be reorganized and transformed from military bases into joint training and qualification centers under new arrangements that preserve the mutual interests of Damascus and Moscow.

The memorandum sets a period of no more than three months to complete the transformation, after which the new arrangements will enter into force.

The arrangements carry particular significance given the strategic location of the facilities concerned. Since Russia’s military intervention alongside the ousted regime in 2015, Hmeimim Airport has served as a major center for Russian air operations in Syria, while Tartous Port has provided Moscow with an important maritime outlet to the Mediterranean.

The significance of the understanding extends beyond the reorganization of strategic facilities to its political implications. Relations between Damascus and Moscow are moving from arrangements associated with the previous phase toward a new formula through which Syria seeks to consolidate its sovereignty and establish cooperation based on mutual interests.

A new framework for Syrian-Russian relations

Cooperation between Damascus and Moscow dates back to 1944 and passed through several stages over subsequent decades. The ousted regime, however, used these relations to serve its narrow interests, particularly following Russia’s military intervention alongside it in 2015 and the subsequent expansion of the Russian presence at strategic Syrian facilities, especially along the coast.

Following liberation, Damascus began reviewing the nature of this presence and the arrangements associated with it as part of an effort to rebuild relations with Moscow. The reorganization of the Russian presence falls within this framework, representing a transition from arrangements linked to the previous phase toward a new formula in which the Syrian state determines the nature and areas of cooperation according to its national interests.

Russian political affairs analyst and researcher Dmitry Bridzhe told SANA that the agreement represents an important turning point in Syrian-Russian relations, reflecting a transition from arrangements shaped during the years of war by exceptional circumstances toward a more balanced relationship based on negotiation, dialogue, respect for sovereignty and mutual interests.

Bridzhe said Damascus is managing its foreign relations today from a position of sovereign decision-making, determining the nature of its partnerships and the areas of cooperation that are compatible with its interests.

More than 18 months of negotiationsThe new framework did not emerge suddenly but resulted from a negotiating process that began on Jan. 29, 2025, when PresidentAhmad al-Sharaareceived a Russian delegation headed by Russian President’s Special Envoy to the Middle EastMikhail Bogdanov.

Al-Sharaa said at the time that restoring relations should address past mistakes, respect the will of the Syrian people and serve their interests.‎⁨The new framework did not emerge suddenly but resulted from a…A telephone call between Russian President Vladimir Putin and al-Sharaa followed in February, during which Moscow expressed readiness to reconsider agreements concluded with the ousted regime.

The dialogue continued with Foreign Minister and Expatriates Asaad Hassan al-Shibani’s visit to Moscow in July 2025, followed by al-Sharaa’s visits to Moscow in October 2025 and January 2026.

Talks continued with the arrival of a high-level Russian delegation in Damascus on Feb. 4 to discuss the Russian military presence and prospects for military and economic cooperation between the two countries, culminating in the memorandum of understanding reached on August 9.

The continuation of negotiations for more than a year and a half reflects Damascus’ approach of reorganizing its relationship with Moscow rather than severing it, while at the same time moving away from maintaining previous arrangements in their old form and opening the way for a new model of cooperation.

Part of a broader foreign policy

The reorganization of relations with Moscow is not separate from the broader course of Syrian foreign policy since liberation. This policy is based on diversifying partnerships and opening up to the Arab world, the United States and Western countries, while maintaining channels of cooperation with other international powers.

The approach seeks to build a network of relations that does not depend on aligning with one international party against another. Instead, Syria seeks to define areas of cooperation with each party according to national interests, the requirements of reconstruction and efforts to consolidate stability.

Within this broader approach, the Syrian-Russian understanding illustrates the shift from relationships shaped by the circumstances of the previous phase toward partnerships whose terms are determined through negotiation and based on mutual interests and Syrian sovereignty.

The results of the broader policy have been reflected in growing international support for efforts to achieve reconstruction and stability. In conjunction with the first anniversary of liberation, representatives of the 15 member states of the UN Security Council visited Syria, in the first visit of its kind since the council was established in 1945.

Syria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ibrahim Olabi, described the visit at the time as a historic milestone indicating a shift in the international position from division over Syria toward unified support for it.