Syria says reached deal with Moscow on fate of Russian bases

DAMASCUS: Syria said on Sunday (Aug 9) that it reached a deal with Russia on the fate of its two bases in the country, which Moscow once used to provide military support to ousted leader Bashar al-Assad during the Syrian civil war.Russia was a key Assad ally during the 13-year conflict, helping to keep the former leader in power, and his ouster in 2024 dealt a major blow to its influence in the region.Russian President Vladimir Putin has since worked to build relations with the new authorities in Damascus to secure the future of his country's only two official military bases outside the former Soviet Union.Syria's official SANA news agency quoted the foreign ministry as saying that the Hmeimim airbase and Tartus naval base would be turned into "joint training and capacity-building centres,