Russia says Syria base deal will boost ties with Damascus, RIA reports

AI Summary

Russia and Syria have reached an agreement on the future of Russian military bases at Tartous and Hmeimim, signaling a boost in bilateral ties. The memorandum settles the status of Moscow's bases after 18 months of negotiation, reinforcing Russia's military presence in Syria.

MOSCOW, Aug 11 (Reuters) - Russia's Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that a deal reached with Syria on the future of Moscow's military bases in the Middle Eastern country was an important step that would boost ties between the two countries, the state RIA news agency reported. The Syrian foreign ministry was cited by Syria's state news agency on Sunday as saying that Syria and Russia had reached a memorandum of understanding to settle the future of Russian bases at Tartous and Hmeimim following 18 months of intensive negotiations.