Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and Prime Minister of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdoğan agreed today in Ankara that a period of strengthening bilateral relations is ahead of Serbia and Turkey, especially of economic cooperation, with the sector of transport infrastructure being one of the areas where progress could be made the soonest.

Cvetkovic said at a press conference held after the meeting with his Turkish counterpart that the general impression is that economic relations between Serbia and Turkey are good, but that they could be much better given the economic capacities of the two countries.

He noted that Serbia has a large deficit in trade with Turkey and that in addition to good political relations, there are no major mutual investments.

The Serbian Prime Minister underlined that the need for cooperation between the two countries greatly exceeds the limits of mere economic interests, because stability of the whole southeastern Europe largely depends on good relations between Serbia and Turkey.

Cvetkovic thanked Prime Minister Erdoğan on Turkey’s assistance in the evacuation of Serbian nationals from Libya.

Today in Ankara two bilateral agreements were signed: the Agreement on cooperation in the fight against serious crimes, terrorism and organised crime, signed by Serbia’s and Turkey’s interior ministers Ivica Dacic and Osman Güneş respectively, and the Agreement on cooperation in the field of environment signed by proper ministers Oliver Dulic and Veysel Eroğlu.

On the second day of the visit Cvetkovic will travel to Istanbul where he will open the Serbian-Turkish Economic Forum, after which he will meet with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople.


Good political relations between Serbia, Turkey

Prime Minister Mirko Cvetkovic and Speaker of the Turkish parliament Mehmet Ali Şahin said today in Ankara that Serbia and Turkey have good political relations, which should be maximally used to improve economic cooperation between the two countries.

Cvetkovic, said that tomorrow's economic forum between the two countries in Istanbul will gather the most important companies of the two countries and invited Turkish businessmen to invest in the Serbian economy.

Şahin said that Serbia is a key country of the Western Balkans, which it confirms through its peaceful policy thus contributing to regional stability.

In Ankara, the Prime Minister laid a wreath at the tomb of the founder of the modern Turkish state Kemal Ataturk, commenting that relations between Serbia and Turkey are developing towards a strategic partnership.

I am honoured to pay respects to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk on behalf of the Serbian government, who is a historical figure that marked to a large extent the 20th century and whose vision has left an indelible imprint on the development of friendly Turkey. The Serbian-Turkish relations are now developing on the basis of achievements of this tradition towards a strategic partnership, in the best interest of the citizens of the two countries and the entire region, the Prime Minister wrote in the solemn book.

Cvetkovic will also meet in Ankara with Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan today.

Cvetkovic and Turkish officials will sign an Agreement on cooperation in the fight against serious crimes, terrorism and organised crime and an Agreement on cooperation in the field of environment.

The delegation of the Republic of Serbia also includes First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior Ivica Dacic, Minister of Labour and Social Policy Rasim Ljajic, Minister of Environment and Spatial Planning Oliver Dulic and Minister Without Portfolio Sulejman Ugljanin.