Serbia, Turkey Abolish Visa Requirements
Belgrade | 12 July 2010 | Bojana Barlovac
Turkish PM Erdogan with his Serbian counterpart Mirko Cvetkovic (photo by FoNet)
Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and his Serbian counterpart Mirko Cvetkovic have agreed in Belgrade that the Balkans should be a zone of stability and peace, not conflict.
A solemn reception was prepared in front of the Palace of Serbia in Belgrade for the Turkish PM, who met with Cvetkovic and Serbian President Boris Tadic. Erdogan arrived on an official visit in Belgrade on Monday morning that is aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
The premiers told reporters that the talks were constructive and fruitful and that they were related to all forms of bilateral cooperation as well as the situation in the region.
"Turkey wants to see more prosperity in the Balkans, and this can be achieved only with the participation of Serbia," Erdogan said.
Erdogan's visit to Belgrade today also brought an agreement on the mutual abolition of visas for citizens of both countries, which was signed by Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic and his Turkish countepart Ahmet Davutoglu.
Erdogan and Tadic will later head to the Serbian town of Novi Pazar as part of today's visit.
Relations between Turkey and Serbia were strained after Turkey became one of the first countries to recognise Kosovo’s unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in February 2008.
Ties between the two countries then improved in June 2008 with the signing of a bilateral free trade agreement aimed at encouraging direct investment from Turkey in Serbia and joint projects.
According to the Web site of the Serbian Ministry of Finance, the Free Trade Agreement between Serbia and Turkey is scheduled to come into effect on September 1.
Several other agreements which will allow for the participation of Turkish construction companies in the construction of highways in Serbia have since been signed.
Davatoglu and Serbian Minister for the National Investment Plan Verica Kalanovic signed a Memorandum of Understanding on the construction of sections of the highway Belgrade - South Adriatic (Corridor 11) from the town of Ljig to Cacak and from Cacak to the town of Pozega.
Erdogan came to Belgrade today after attending the commemoration ceremony for the 15th anniversary of the massacre in Srebrenica, which Tadic and other regional leaders also attended.
Turkey has recently been investing efforts to normalise relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia and as a result of its work it hosted the first trilateral presidential-level meeting of the three countries in Istanbul in April. At the meeting the three leaders signed a joint delaration and pledged to continue to work on improving relations.
Serbia, Turkey Abolish Visa Requirements :: BalkanInsight.com




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