Syria terminates investment deal with Russia over Tartus port control

Riyad Joudi, the director of Tartus Customs, told the publication Al-Watan.

Joudi stated that the port was nearly non-functional due to regulations and excessively high service tariffs. The transitional government is now working on restructuring and reorganizing the port's operations.

According to Joudi, all revenues from the terminated agreement will now benefit the Syrian state, and port employees will be reinstated. The new administration has also lifted bans on certain imports, resulting in significant ship traffic at Tartus. Syrian, Arab, international, and transit ships are now transporting goods such as iron, carbonate, and sugar.

In 2019, Russia signed a 49-year lease agreement to use Tartus as a logistics hub for trade, resource transportation, and military operations. The port served as Russia’s only naval base in the Mediterranean.

• Earlier this January, Russian ships were denied entry to Tartus due to a lack of authorization from the new Syrian government.