President Erdoğan: We will continue to stand with Bosnia and Herzegovina
President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan delivered remarks at a joint press conference with Chairman Šefik Džaferović and Members Milorad Dodik and Željko Komšić of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Presidential Council in Sarajevo.
Voicing his happiness to be in Sarajevo, the first leg of his Balkans tour, President Erdoğan said: “Being here on the 30th anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic relations gives our visit a historic significance. As stated in the joint declaration by our ministries of foreign affairs, the Türkiye-Bosnia and Herzegovina relations are of exceptional nature. Our historical, cultural and social ties as well as our political, military and economic relations constitute a solid basis for our relations.”
“We have discussed the steps we can take to further advance the relations between Türkiye and Bosnia and Herzegovina,” President Erdoğan said. “I have once again underscored the importance Türkiye attaches to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s peace, prosperity and stability as well as our support for its territorial integrity and sovereignty. A busy political agenda awaits Bosnia and Herzegovina in the upcoming period. Holding the general election on October 2 in a fair, transparent and constructive environment is of vital importance to the region as well as to Bosnia and Herzegovina. During the period leading up to the elections, it is especially important for the peace and stability of Bosnia and Herzegovina to encourage an election atmosphere that will contribute to the country’s welfare.”
“WE UNABATEDLY CONTINUE OUR DEVELOPMENT AID TO BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA”
Voicing his wish that the elections may lead to an auspicious results for the entire Bosnia and Herzegovina, President Erdoğan said: “I would like to reiterate that we as Türkiye stand ready to do everything we can to overcome the current problems in Bosnia and Herzegovina within the consent of the parties. During our talks, we have discussed what we can do to improve our bilateral trade, which reached the level of $876 million last year with a nearly 35 percent increase, and to further boost our investments.”
Highlighting the importance of the Sarajevo-Belgrade Highway, whose foundation was laid in 2019, President Erdoğan said: “I see this project as a peace project which will connect not only the countries, but also the peoples in the region. I believe we have given a new momentum to this strategic project during our visit.”
“As Türkiye, we unabatedly continue our development aid to Bosnia and Herzegovina. Within this scope, TİKA has carried out nearly a thousand projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 1995. I would like to underscore once again that we will continue to stand with Bosnia and Herzegovina on all platforms,” President Erdoğan said.
