Turkey, Serbia should target $2B trade volume: Minister

By Muhammet Ikbal Arslan</p> <p>ANKARA (AA) – Turkey and Serbia should aim to increase their bilateral trade volume to $2 billion in the near future, Turkish Minister of Youth and Sports Mehmet Muharrem Kasapoglu said Tuesday.</p> <p>“As our presidents Recep Tayyip Erdogan [of Turkey] and Aleksandar Vucic [of Serbia] agreed, our aim should be increasing the bilateral trade volume between Turkey and Serbia to a level of $2 billion as soon as possible,” Kasapoglu told a reception marking Serbia’s National Day, Serbian Armed Forces Day and the 140th anniversary of Turkish-Serbian diplomatic relations.</p> <p>Kasapoglu said it was a welcome development that bilateral trade volume surpassed $1 billion for the first time in 2017, adding the two countries have a serious potential to improve economic and trade relations.</p> <p>“Serbia is a valued friend of our country and a partner with whom we have strong cooperation for improving prosperity and stability in the Balkans,” he said.</p> <p>Noting that fruitful dialogue between the two countries was of great importance for the establishment of security in the region, Kasapoglu added: “We have full belief in our friend Serbia that its support for our country’s efforts to eliminate FETO [the Fetullah Terrorist Organization] will increasingly continue in the coming period.”</p> <p>FETO and its U.S.-based leader Fetullah Gulen orchestrated the defeated coup of July 15, 2016 which left 251 people martyred and nearly 2,200 injured.</p> <p>Ankara also accuses FETO of being behind a long-running campaign to overthrow the state through the infiltration of Turkish institutions, particularly the military, police and judiciary.</p> <p>Serbia’s Ambassador to Turkey, Zoran Markovic, for his part said his country wants to improve relations with Turkey, adding the two countries share common roots, history and culture.</p> <p>Praising relations between Ankara and Belgrade, Markovic said: “We have a dialogue that ensures the highest level of lasting and mutual benefit.”

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