Ohrid (AA) - Turkish Deputy Foreign Minister Naci Koru said Friday that Turkey attached great importance to cooperation between Balkan countries.
In a formal meeting of the foreign ministers of the South East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) in the Macedonian city of Ohrid, Koru noted that SEECP was a beneficial group for political and economic cooperation both between Turkey and Balkan countries and within the Balkans.
Koru also said that Turkey supported Balkan countries in their bid to become European Union (EU) members, adding, "We work with Balkan countries on EU membership. I believe, in a very short time, there will be positive developments in this issue."
Also speaking at the SEECP meeting, Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki said that regional countries took important steps in terms of EU membership, reminding that the integration with the EU was high on the agenda of SEECP.
"Twelve years ago, only one of the members of the South East European Cooperation Process was an EU member, while two were NATO members. Today, when we add Croatia too, which will be an EU member in July, we will have five EU and seven NATO member countries." Poposki said. "Good relations between Turkey and EU are important for our region."
European Commissioner for Enlargement Stefan Fule noted that it Kosovo's participation in the meeting was a positive development, adding that it should be invited to other meetings of the SEECP as well.
"EU supports Kosovo's participation to the cooperation process and is of the opinion that it will contribute to the strengthening of the region," Fule said.
Meanwhile, Romania assumed the rotating presidency of SEECP.
SEECP meeting was hosted by Macedonian Foreign Minister Nikola Poposki, where foreign ministers of Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria alongside deputy foreign ministers of Turkey, Bosnia&Herzegovina, Slovenia, Albania, Kosovo, Moldova, Romania and Greece were among participants.
