Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's leadership and voiced support for deeper economic, political, and security cooperation between the two countries.
"I am truly very pleased to be here," Vucic told a joint press conference with Erdoğan in Ankara, describing their talks as "a very open and sincere dialogue" between two long-time friends who speak "with great respect for one another."
He said the meetings in Ankara made him happy, stressing he was speaking sincerely rather than using standard diplomatic language.
"When I speak to you, I do so with the utmost respect, as a great leader, not only of Türkiye, but also of the region and indeed a leader with global influence," he added, noting that the issues discussed and conclusions reached were "very important."
Vucic said Türkiye is "an extremely important partner for Serbia," highlighting its political weight as well as its role in the economy, defense industry, and technology.
He emphasized that although Serbia is smaller in size, it highly values Türkiye's political importance and its influence in economic, military and technological fields.
He underlined that Turkish companies are investing in various parts of Serbia, particularly in less developed southern regions, creating job opportunities.
He said some in Serbia may not fully recognize the scale of Turkish investments in less developed regions, especially in the south, where companies are contributing to employment and development.
The Serbian leader also referred to major infrastructure projects involving Turkish public institutions and private firms, including road and railway developments, and expressed hope that Erdoğan's next visit to Serbia would be his largest ever, with "very important agreements" to be signed.
He said the two sides discussed numerous infrastructure projects in detail, including highway and railway developments, and expressed hope that agreements related to a key highway project would soon be signed to help resolve transportation challenges.
"I strongly support President Erdoğan's Balkan Peace Platform initiative," Vucic said, adding that regional cooperation is "extremely important."
He said he would gladly accept an invitation to participate in future meetings under the Balkan Peace Platform, describing the initiative as vital for preserving regional stability.
According to him, bringing together peoples and economies across the Balkans is essential for long-term peace and prosperity.
He also said the two sides discussed activating a joint committee that will have an intensive agenda in the coming months, noting that further frameworks for parliamentary friendship groups are expected to be established.
For the first time, he said, the leaders discussed cooperation in military and technical fields, including collaboration between their armed forces. Strengthening such cooperation could help preserve peace and ensure a better future for both nations, he added.
Vucic thanked Türkiye for agreeing to participate in EXPO 2027 to be hosted by Serbia, calling the decision important for expanding economic and cultural ties.
He described Erdoğan as an "experienced and wise leader" who knows how to contribute to peace, and said Serbia, as a sovereign and independent country, respects leaders who seek to preserve stability.
Vucic thanked Erdoğan for his hospitality and reiterated Serbia looks forward to hosting him soon for what he hoped will be a landmark visit.
