BELGRADE, Serbia

Turkey's Consulate General in Novi Pazar officially began operation on Friday with Basar Basol receiving a certificate of order from Serbia's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Vera Vukicevic.

The ceremony held in the capital, Belgrade, was attended by Turkey's Ambassador Hami Aksoy.

The works of consular and future officials' visits between the two countries were discussed with Vukicevic in a meeting after the ceremony.

The announcement of the opening of Consular General was made during Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's official visit to Serbia in 2019.

Turkey's consular is the first diplomatic mission established in Novi Pazar.

The residence of Novi Pazar and its region is seen as a bridge of friendship between Turkey and Serbia.

Turkey wants to increase its economic, cultural, and political presence in the region via its official missions.

Meanwhile, Bosnia and Herzegovina are preparing to open a diplomatic mission in the southwestern city after Serbia gave consent.

Novi Pazar has historical importance to Turkey and Muslims in the region. It was established between 1459-1461 by Ishakoglu Isa Bey, the founder of Bosnia's capital, Sarajevo, and North Macedonia's capital, Skopje.

It is a beautiful example of inter-religious harmony, with a population that is 82% Muslim.