Serbian president lauds Türkiye as 'greatest power in the Balkans'

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic has hailed Türkiye as a stabilising power in the Balkans and expressed his expectation of continued Turkish support for peace in the region.

Speaking alongside Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a joint press conference in the Serbian capital on Friday, Vucic stressed that Türkiye stands out as "the greatest power in the Balkans."

Erdogan is in Belgrade as part of a Balkans tour. Türkiye and Serbia signed 11 bilateral agreements spanning various sectors from energy to communications during his visit.

“Our economic and commercial relations constitute the engine of our bilateral cooperation with Serbia. Our trade volume has exceeded two billion dollars two years in a row," Erdogan said in his address, adding that the goal is now set to five billion dollars.

He remarked that Türkiye and Serbia also have opportunities to enhance defence industry cooperation and urged third countries to refrain from trying to "determine what the defence industries of Türkiye and Serbia should" do.

Relations progressing positively

Erdogan further stressed "the importance of Serbia's constructive approach in helping Bosnia and Herzegovina move beyond its political fragility."

The Serbian president, for his part, also praised Erdogan as a person who "understands the problems in the Balkans very well and always says that dialogue is the only way to solve them."

Vucic said parts of Serbia survive thanks to Turkish investments and expressed his country's appreciation of friendly relations with Türkiye — an important political and economic power in Eurasia and the entire globe.

According to Erdogan, there are now approximately 850 Turkish investors in Serbia, and Turkish companies' investments are expanding by the day.

Türkiye sees Serbia as an important country for stability in the region and supports its integration with the EU, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

Ankara also sees relations with Serbia as progressing positively, with mutual high-level visits and commercial and economic relations developing with a strong momentum.​​​​​​​

The 11 agreements signed during Erdogan's visit are crucial steps in strengthening bilateral ties and improving cooperation in a number of fields including disaster management, sports, and social security.

Economic ties were reinforced as Türkiye’s Industry Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır and Serbian Economy Minister Adrijana Mesarovic signed a pact to boost industrial cooperation.

Energy collaboration followed suit with an agreement signed by energy ministers Alparslan Bayraktar and Dubravka Handanovic.

The countries also amended their free trade agreement, refining the definition of “originating products” under the pact, with trade ministers Omer Bolat and Tomislav Momirovic signing the update.

On media, Turkish Head of Communications Fahrettin Altun and Serbian Telecommunications Minister Dejan Ristic formalised their cooperation, while a sister city agreement was signed between the mayors of Belgrade and Gaziantep in southeastern Türkiye.

The state archives of the two countries also signed a cooperation deal, as did their respective history institutes.