Starović: Great importance of every meeting with Erdogan

Every meeting between Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan is very important, because as such all political issues in the Balkan peninsula must be considered in an intensive political dialog of Serbia and Turkey, as two most important countries in this area, says State Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nemanja Starović.

“It is very useful to intensify the political dialog of official Ankara and Belgrade and it may have a positive effect on solving of major, important political issues in our region, whether it is about Bosnia and Herzegovina or the issue of normalization of the Belgrade – Priština relation”, says Starović to Tanjug in the eve of the meeting of the Serbian and Turkish president tomorrow in Istanbul.

Starović adds that, despite the fact that the positions are different in many aspects, the political dialog is the right path through which the opinions may be brought together closer and positive messages may be sent to the region and the international community.

He expects that during the work lunch of the two presidents, in two days in Turkey, important political issues for which the constant political dialog is necessary as well as economic topics will be dominant.

When it comes to Kosovo and Metohija, Starović reminds that attitudes of Ankara and Belgrade on this issue are different, but that in recent years there have been some mild positive corrections in the activities of Turkey.

He emphasizes that it is important for us now to provide the support of Turkey in the process of dialog between Belgrade and Priština, which would result in mutually acceptable, compromised and sustainable solution.

“We are aware of the fact that there cannot be some major shift, but the support in the process of dialog at this point would be very important for us”, said Starović.

With regards to the topic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Starović adds that Turkey has its own interests in this country, whose Bosnian political parties in Turkey seek for a strong political support, so that it is reality which needs to be taken into account, but that, in this sense, the constructive positioning of Turkey is precious as well as the fact that Ankara recognizes the importance of the participation of all countries which signed the Dayton Agreement in the political dialog on the future of B&H.

“We are ready to respond positively to all initiatives which would come from B&H itself, which would support both entities, all three constituent nations and which would include more direct inclusion of Croatia and Serbia, should those initiatives emerge”, says Starović.

He indicates that the focus of the conversation will be on economy, since there is a growth of the foreign trade exchange of Serbia and Turkey, as well as that in Serbia there is an increasing number of Turkish investments, which are realized in the most under-developed parts of Serbia.

Commenting on the “crowded” agenda of President Vučić, who is to meet many officials this month, Starović says that certain foreign political processes will be intensified and that our region, the Balkans as a whole but primarily the Western Balkans will reach the focus of attention of the world diplomacy.

“it is up to us, like so far, to keep a serious, constructive and proactive approach, to position ourselves as a factor of stability in the region, as the country which shows the hand of cooperation to all neighbors and which in a credible manner represents its foreign political priorities and activities to all major players in the international arena. I am convinced that the activities of President Vučić will be completely proactive”, says Starović.

Source: Tanjug