Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday instructed the Defense Ministry to hold negotiations with Syria on the transfer of additional facilities into Syria's ownership
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 29th May, 2020) Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday instructed the Defense Ministry to hold negotiations with Syria on the transfer of additional facilities into Syria's ownership.
"Accept the Russian government's proposal to sign a protocol N1 on the transfer of additional facilities ... to the Syrian Arab Republic..." the order issued by the president said.
On August 26, 2015, Moscow and Damascus signed an agreement envisaging the indefinite deployment of Russia's air group at Syria's Hmeimim airbase. The agreement was signed weeks before Russia launched a military operation against terrorist groups in the country in September 2015.
In 2017, Russia and Syria signed another deal, which says that 11 Russian ships, including those equipped with nuclear power systems, could be based in Tartus. The deal also addressed the expansion and upgrade of the facility, and is effective for 49 years but can be automatically prolonged for further 25-year periods.
