3 yıl önce

Erdogan calls for global cooperation in tackling Bosnian crisis

Turkiye's President President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has discussed the crisis in Bosnia with Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic, adding that Ankara will step up its diplomacy on the matter.

AP

Erdogan received Vucic at an official welcome ceremony in Ankara, as the leaders attend the Third Turkiye-Serbia High Level Cooperation Council.

Turkiye's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has said the international community must act together to overcome the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Erdogan spoke at a joint press conference alongside his Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic on Tuesday.

"To overcome the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it's clear that there's a need for the international community to move together," Erdogan said, referring to recent moves towards separatism in the multi-ethnic state.

For his part, Vucic underlined that Belgrade highly respects the territorial integrity of neighbouring Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Speaking to reporters earlier during a visit to Albania on Monday, Erdogan said the Serb member of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s tripartite state presidency Milorad Dodik, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama and other regional officials had voiced support for his mediation offer.

"In the coming period, we will intensify diplomatic traffic," Erdogan said, adding Turkiye will use its "respectable" standing with regional actors for the resolution of the crisis.

Serbia, Turkiye relations at 'historic peak'

Erdogan also noted that Turkiye and Serbia recently increased their trade volume to $2 billion, adding that the two countries' next goal is to reach $5 billion.

Vucic added that Serbia's trade volume with Turkiye had reached its "best momentum in history."

Earlier, Serbia's ambassador in Ankara also drew attention to the trade figures, saying relations between Turkiye and Serbia are at a "historic peak."

The "highly cordial and sincere relationship" between Erdogan and Vucic "made our bilateral relations so radiant, productive and mutually beneficial," Zoran Markovic said ahead of the meeting.

"With the stage being set in such a favourable way, our relations can only further advance so that we can all reap the benefits, not solely to the interest of our two nations, but in the interest of regional cooperation and wider," Markovic said.