Bosnia, Serbia, Turkey pledge a better future

ANKARA

Turkish President Abdullah Gül (C), Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic (R) and the three members of the Bosnian presidency attend a press conference. AA photo

Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia and Turkey reaffirmed the “significance of building a better future for new generations aiming to overcome the existing prejudices and avert hate speech,” in a final joint declaration at the third meeting of the Trilateral Balkans Summit.

Leaders of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia met yesterday under the auspices of Turkish President Abdullah Gül.

The three countries pledged to support each other in their candidacies for international organizations, according to the declaration, as well as to cooperate against extremism and fight against organized crime in order to maintain a secure environment in the region.

As leaders of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia also called on Turkish businessmen to invest in their countries, President Gül said that they particularly discussed economic cooperation.

In light of the consolidation of political stability, security and ongoing reforms in the region, this could now be a signal for businessmen to invest in Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, President Gül said yesterday, speaking at a joint press conference with Serbia’s President Tomislav Nikolic and Bakir Izetbegović, Željko Komšić and Nebojša Radmanović of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Elaborating on the recent steps taken by Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to normalize bilateral relations, Gül applauded Nikolic’s recent apology for crimes that certain individuals committed in the name of Serbia against Bosnians. “His constructive and brave statements have consolidated the positive atmosphere,” Turkish president said.

The Turkish president said that talks would be based on “building the future together” and added, “In this framework, we will exchange ideas on how to move our trilateral cooperation forward.”