The Balkans Project

Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with Serbian Prime Minister Mirko Cvetovic and Serbian President Boris Tadic in Belgrade today as part of an official visit aimed at promoting bilateral cooperation between the two countries.  According to Erdogan, “Turkey wants to see more prosperity in the Balkans, and this can be achieved only with the participation of Serbia.”

One particularly noteworthy outcome of the talks was an agreement by both parties to abolish visa requirements for citizens of either country wishing to visit the other.  Previously,  Turks visiting Serbia and Serbians visiting Turkey needed to acquire embassy-issued visas.  The new visa policy will likely go a long way in easing tensions that have existed since 2008, when Turkey became one of the first countries to recognize Kosovo’s self-declared independence from Serbia.  

Though relations remain somewhat strained, much progress has been made since 2008, particularly in the economic arena.  In June 2008, the two countries signed a bilateral free trade agreement that allowed direct investment from Turkey in Serbia and encouraged joint projects. Additionally, a “Memorandum of Understanding” which allowed for the participation of Turkish construction companies in the construction of the highway “Belgrade – South Adriatic” was signed by Serbian Minister Verica Kalanovic. 

More recently, Turkey has focused on normalizing relations between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia, and hosted the first trilateral presidential-level meeting of the three countries in April.  The meeting was a success overall, and resulted in a joint declaration by the three leaders pledging to settle a number of  disputes, including those related to borders, property and debt.  Hopefully, Turkey’s pattern of constructive involvement in the Balkans will continue for many years to come.