Russia plans to establish a center for the repair of Russian ships in the seaport of Tartous

The Russian Navy’s Physical and Technical Supply Center (PMTO) in Tartus announced that it will start work on maintaining Russian ships, a source at the Russian naval industry center was quoted as saying by Tass Russian Agency.

The source added that the work of the center will be limited to providing minor repairs to ships and submarines relating to the permanent operational contact of the Russian Navy in the Mediterranean Sea.

The most up to date machines have been purchased and transported to Tartous, the source pointed out.

Regarding the maintenance work, the Russian ships in Tartous are currently relying on the floating workshops affiliated to the Black Sea Russian Fleet, which operate at the port of Tartous on a rotational system every six months.

Russia announced the signing of a contract with the Syrian state, in April, which provides for the lease of the port of Tartous for 49 years.

The agreement is valid for 49 years, and is automatically extended for 25 years, unless one party informs the other one year before the expiry of the term of the agreement for its suspension.

The two sides considered that the port will be used by the Russian business sector, and will reflect positively on trade exchange between the two countries, as it will serve the Syrian economy.

It is noteworthy that the Syrian and Russian sides signed an agreement in 2017 for the expansion of the Russian Navy’s Physical and Technical Supply Center (PMTO) in Tartus and for the entry of the Russian warships into the territorial waters and Syrian ports.

Inas Abdulkareem