MOSCOW. Jan 20 (Interfax) - Russia is planning to expand its navy's base in Tartus and upgrade its infrastructure, according to a Russian-Syrian agreement of January 18, 2017. The document has been published on the official legal information portal.
"The Syrian Arab Republic has expressed consent for the Russian Federation to expand the territory of the technical supply base, as well as to develop and modernize its infrastructure for conducting repairs, restocking and crew rest," the document says.
Syria transfers the relevant territory to Russia for free use throughout the term of the agreement, according to the document.
"The territory of the technical supply base includes the coastal zone, the water area near the Tartus port, and the waterfront zone (the berth zone for watercraft), which represent a section of the water surface with waterspace and the surface of the bottom underneath," the agreement says.