Turkey interested in economic, infrastructural cooperation in Balkans: FM

BELGRADE, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Visiting Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Wednesday that his country is supporting investors who wish to enter the market of the Western Balkans, and is ready to support infrastructural projects such as the Belgrade-Sarajevo highway.

The Turkish foreign minister made the remarks during meetings in Belgrade with officials of Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH).

Cavusoglu arrived on Wednesday afternoon in the capital of Serbia to attend a meeting with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic, as well to participate in a separate meeting with his Serbian and BiH counterparts, Ivica Dacic and Igor Crnadak.

The press release of the cabinet of the Serbian president states that Vucic and Cavusoglu talked about bilateral relations of the two countries, their economic cooperation and the participation of the Turkish companies in the regional infrastructural projects.

Vucic said that Serbia is awaiting the establishment of the High Council for strategic cooperation between Serbia and Turkey envisaged by the joint declaration signed during the recent visit of the Turkish president to Serbia, which will contribute to further improvement of bilateral relations and cooperation in all areas of interest, as well as to the continuation of the regular political dialogue on the high and the highest level.

"Economy is the area to which we have to dedicate key attention. We believe that the future work of the High Council for strategic cooperation will contribute to improve economic cooperation. We expect bigger presence of Turkish companies and increase of Turkish investments in Serbia," Vucic said, announcing that Turkish investors will soon open two new factories.

Cavusolgu estimated that Serbia is a sincere friend of Serbia and praised Serbia's reforms and its role in the region.

At the trilateral meeting among Cavusoglu, Dacic and Crnadak, the three ministers talked about the cooperation of the three countries, as well as the announced construction of the highway between Belgrade and Sarajevo that will likely take place with the participation of Turkey, the government stated.

Crnadak confirmed that Turkey is ready to get involved in the highway project and that it is now up to the BiH side to come up with the route of the new highway and make efforts to connect the two capital cities in an adequate way. Enditem