Russia is set to create a logistics center in Tartus, maintaining military presence while expanding commercial activities amidst ongoing speculation.
Russia Prepares to Establish a Commercial Logistics Center While Maintaining Military Presence in Tartus
Following months of efforts to sustain its naval presence in the Mediterranean and speculation regarding the future of the 720th naval base in Tartus, Syria, which Russia has used for many years, Syrian commercial sources have shared striking information about Russia's new restructuring at the port.
According to executives from the Syria-based Russian Line company, one of the two piers that make up the former Russian naval base will remain under the use of the Russian navy. The other pier, the number 4 dock, will be allocated for Russia's commercial cargo activities. The remaining part of the port, which was previously operated commercially by the Russian company Stroytransgaz, will continue to be operated under a 30-year concession agreement valued at $800 million with DP World.
Through the new logistics facility, Russian Line aims to achieve an initial cargo volume of 250,000 tons per month. The center, which will operate within the boundaries of the Russian naval base, plans to handle products such as Russian wheat, grain products, animal feed, vegetable oils, lumber, steel, clinker, coal, rice, sugar, and lubricants. Additionally, light industrial and finishing operations will be carried out at the facility, which will also serve as a logistics hub for the distribution of Russian goods in the region.
In the first phase, a shipment of 30,000 tons of grain is planned to be carried out in mid-July. If the grain is sourced from the Donetsk and Luhansk regions under Russian control, it is expected that the Ukrainian administration will closely monitor the situation. The fact that shipments will be made through the Novorossiysk Port in the Black Sea is also among the elements drawing international attention.
Most of the information regarding the project has come from Russian sources, particularly the Russia-Syria Business Council. However, officials from the Syrian General Directorate of Ports and Customs have officially denied claims that Russia will establish a commercial logistics center in Tartus. Nevertheless, it is suggested that a preliminary agreement on this matter was reached during a meeting between Syrian President Ahmed El Shara and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow at the end of January.
It is reported that Russia and Syria aim to capitalize on the maritime traffic disruptions occurring in the Strait of Hormuz to develop overland trade corridors extending through the Mediterranean to Iraq, Jordan, and Gulf countries. This objective was also brought to the international agenda when U.S. President Donald Trump announced the lifting of sanctions against Syria during a speech at the Saudi Arabia-U.S. Investment Forum held in Riyadh on May 13.
Source: SeaNews Türkiye
