Turkey: Development of Bosnia's rural areas ‘important’

BELGRADE, Serbia

Turkey attaches great importance to development of rural areas in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Turkish agriculture minister said on Friday.

Bekir Pakdemirli arrived in Bosnia and Herzegovina's capital Sarajevo on Friday where he met with Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia, Milorad Dodik and the Bosniak member Sefik Dzaferovic.

Evaluating the visit at the Turkish embassy, Pakdemir said that they have discussed matters pertaining to current free trade agreement signed in Ankara two weeks ago.

"The development of rural areas of friendly country Bosnia and Herzegovina is very important for us," he said.

He said that they have discussed ways to settle the people living in rural areas and also agriculture and livestock projects.

The minister recalled the trade volume between the two countries is around $700 million and said the goal of the two countries' leaders is to take the bilateral trade volume to $1 billion as soon as possible.

"Turkey has implemented the freedoms and customs tariffs for Bosnia that it does not do for any other country. We want to be sure that the rural development and the money that is received here is distributed evenly," said Pakdemir.