ANKARA

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday praised Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’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 said at the Presidential Complex in Ankara during a joint press conference with Erdogan, describing their talks as “a very open and sincere dialogue” between two long-time friends who speak “with great respect for one another.”

“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 underlined that Turkish companies are investing in various parts of Serbia, particularly in less developed southern regions, creating “very important job opportunities.”

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 Erdogan’s next visit to Serbia would be his largest ever, with “very important agreements” to be signed.

“I strongly support President Erdogan’s Balkan Peace Platform initiative,” Vucic said, adding that regional cooperation is “extremely important.”