The new Syrian authorities have terminated the agreement on the management of the port of Tartus, where the Russian military base is located. This was announced to the newspaper Al Watan by the head of the customs administration of Tartus Riad Judi, reports RTVi.
The 49-year contract was signed in 2019 with the Russian company Stroytransgaz. The company was to invest $500 million in the port’s expansion and development and increase its capacity from 4 million tons per year to 38 million.
Riad Judy explained that the port’s operations were “practically paralyzed” due to very high port fees.
Workers will now work on restoring worn-out equipment, while the authorities will use the revenues from the port’s management “in the interests of the Syrian state,” the official added.
