ANKARA

Turkey attaches importance to Serbia's role in the continuation of peace and stability in the Balkans, the head of the Turkish Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee said on Thursday.

At a meeting with his Serbian counterpart Zarko Obradovic in the capital Ankara, Volkan Bozkir said they are happy about the progress Serbia has made in all aspects.

"We attach importance to Serbia's role in the continuation of peace and stability in the Balkans," said Bozkir.

He added: "It is important for us to have a friendly country like Serbia in that geography."

The trade volume between Turkey and Serbia was €800 million ($881.4 million) two years ago and is expected to reach €1.2 billion ($1.3 billion) by the end of 2019.

Obradovic said that they consider Turkey "as a big and powerful country."

He said that the Serbian government attached importance to Turkey's investments in the country.