Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met on Friday with the foreign ministers of Balkan countries to discuss bilateral relations and regional issues, during a meeting held in Istanbul.
The meeting was attended by Kosovo’s acting Foreign Minister Donika Gërvalla, Albania’s Foreign Minister Elisa Spiropali, North Macedonia’s Foreign Minister Timčo Mucunski, Montenegro’s Foreign Minister Ervin Ibrahimović, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Foreign Minister Elmedin Konaković, as well as Serbia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Nevena Jovanović, Turkey’s Directorate of Communications announced, as reported by Anadolu.
Expressing satisfaction with the organization of the second meeting of the Balkan Peace Platform in Istanbul, Erdogan thanked the representatives of the participating countries for their contributions.
The Turkish president stressed the importance of addressing issues such as border security, energy, technology, and transport, as well as the consultations carried out with a sense of regional responsibility.
Noting that both the world and the region are facing various challenges, Erdogan said that “strengthening solidarity and mutual understanding among the member states of the Balkan Peace Platform has gained particular importance.”
He underlined the necessity of joint action “with an approach that learns from the pains of the past and looks toward the future” in the Balkans. Erdogan also referred to Turkey’s efforts to mitigate and end the consequences of instability in the region, as well as the continuation of peace-focused initiatives in several areas, especially Ukraine, Gaza, and Syria.
Also present at the meeting were Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan, Communications Director Burhanettin Duran, President Erdogan’s chief adviser Akif Çağatay Kılıç, and other officials.
